


Keeper of my Heart

by QueenCarol



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Carzekiel, F/M, Parental Carol Peletier, Parental ezekiel, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-08-07 11:29:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 36,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16407665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenCarol/pseuds/QueenCarol
Summary: They are stuck in DC because Ed needs them to play happy family in order to get a promotion.They oblige, but when he’s not home, they explore the parts of the city they can afford.With the help of a zookeepers, they might explore beyond the local zoo.





	1. A Chance Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer:
> 
> Carol Peletier, Sophia Peletier, King Ezekiel, Henry, Jerry, Shiva, and any other recognizable character or plot of The Walking Dead belong to AMC Network and Skybound Entertainment, Image Comics and Robert Kirkman.
> 
> In no way is the author claiming ownage of any of the characters nor is there any economical/monetary gain at any time. The author is extremely respectful of the original creators and is willing to take down this work of fiction if requested.
> 
> No copyright infringement intended.

The only reason they are in DC is that Ed needs them; he needs a loving wife by his side and a cute little daughter to charm his bosses and help him get the promotion that would take them out of Atlanta.

He needs her to smile and tell them that he is the perfect husband, all while pressing herself to his side, smiling proudly.

He needs Sophia to call him Daddy and give shy smiles to the wives of his bosses while she plays in her mother’s arms.

They do it, not because they want him to get the promotion but because Sophia is terrified of the beast her father becomes and Carol knows better than to contradict him.

For the past two weeks, they have been playing happy families whenever they are with his bosses, whenever they go out for dinner, or when they welcome their families to the apartment they are staying at, paid of course by the company. They are always under his watchful glare, never able to do anything he doesn’t approve of.

It is only when he’s at work that they are free; free of his glares, free of the fear, free of having to pretend.

In the hours between 8:00 am when Ed gets up and leaves for work, and 3:00 pm when he comes back expecting a full course meal ready and waiting for him, Carol and Sophia are free to do whatever they want.

If Ed asks what they’ve done, Sophia says she has played with her dolly and Carol says she has kept their apartment feeling like a home. Ed always finds something to complain about, anyhow, so occasionally they leave the house and walk to museums, those that are free, or to parks where Sophia can run around, or lately, to the zoo.

Sophia loves the animals and Carol loves the smiles and looks of wonder her daughter gives every time she spots a new creature, so the trips to the zoo become a little more frequent.

After teaching her not to bang on the glass, Sophia presses her face against it, her forehead and nose almost squashed in her need to get closer.

“Mama!” Sophia calls out delighted as she notices one of the panthers dozing away by the window.

“No banging the glass, Soph.” Carol reminds her and smiles when her daughter gives her a soft nod then gently places her hands against the glass.

With her face once more pressed against the glass, Sophia whispers “Cat... big cat.”

“It is a big cat, isn’t it?” Carol kneels by her daughter, her hand gently placed on Sophia’s back. “What color is it, Soph?”

“Black!” Sophia exclaims knowing fully well that she was right.

“Yes, it’s black. Do you know what they are called?”

Sophia’s expression turns into a look of complete focus. She bites her bottom lip and narrows her eyes as she tries to recall if she does know the name. “Big cat, Mama?” She asks as she turns to look at Carol, her eyes wide and round.

“Not quite,” Carol replies, her tone soft and encouraging so that Sophia doesn’t feel bad for not knowing their name. “That’s a panther.”

“Pa... pan...ther.” Sophia tries out, feeling the word slide out of her mouth. “Pan... panther, mama?”

“Yes, my bright girl.”

Once again Sophia presses her face against the glass, squealing in delight as the panther stretches then lazily opens her eyes to focus on her.

“Panther, Mama!”

“Is she looking at you?” Carol asks her, to which Sophia eagerly nods. “Do you want to say hi?” Sophia doesn’t answer but waves enthusiastically.

The panther rolls over and goes back to sleep.

“Sleepy?” Sophia questions as Carol goes back to standing, which only makes the little girl look up, the sun catching her auburn hair, lighting it with tones of strawberry blond.

“Yes, she’s sleepy.”

Pulling back from the glass and stepping down from the little ledge in front of it, Sophia raises her hand, fully expecting her mother to take it. “Done, Mama.”

“What do you wanna see know, sweet pea?” There is so much in their life that is out of their choosing that Carol likes to give Sophia the feeling of control by letting her choose what she wants to see next. This sometimes means going from one end of the zoo to the other, or seeing the elephants twice and the giraffes three times. Carol doesn’t care as long as her daughter is happy.

“Tiggy!” Sophia declares as she starts hopping beside Carol.

“Tigers it is.”

They walk for a couple of minutes, Sophia skipping beside her mother, singing a little song to herself.

Before long they enter the area where the tigers are kept. They obviously fan favorites for the viewing areas are surrounded by families and screaming children.

Carol’s hand tightens a little more around Sophia’s “Don’t let go of my hand.”

Sophia’s little fingers hold on tighter as they approach. She can feel a little shake in her daughter’s hand; she knows it’s because of the loud noise but other than taking Sophia somewhere else, there is nothing else she can do.

“Do you want to go see something else, sweet pea?” She asks her, once again giving her the option to choose what they will do.

Sophia’s thumb goes straight to her mouth, even as she shakes her head. “Tiggy.” She says around it.

Carol takes a deep breath and bends down to pick up Sophia, securing her against her hip. “Okay, let’s try to get closer.”

The closest she can get, with mothers hovering around their children, and most of the kids pressed against the glass, banging it and making faces at the tigers, is not close enough so that her tiny daughter can see the tigers.

“Can you see, sweetheart?”

“No, Mama.” The little girl mumbles around her thumb.

She knows that the only way Sophia will be able to see anything is if she gets closer, but letting her get closer meant letting go of her. With so many people around them, anything could happen.

Turning to look at Sophia, Carol notices right away the sad look in her daughter’s eyes. She instantly wants to erase that look and bring back her daughter’s cheerfulness.

“Okay Soph, Mama is gonna put you down.” Sophia’s arms instantly fly around her neck, holding on tightly. “No, no, it’s okay. Mama is gonna watch you, I’m not gonna look away I promise.”

She leans down, letting Sophia know she’s gonna have to climb off. Once her daughter’s feet are on the ground, Carol kneels to look straight into her daughter’s eyes.

“I’m gonna be right here, and I’m gonna be watching, but if you want to see the tigers you are gonna have to be a brave little girl and go to the glass. Do you think you can do that?”

Sophia glances at the crowd of kids and shakes her head.

“That’s alright, sweet pea,” Carol assures her. “We’ll just wait for them to leave, would you like that?”

Sophia’s nod seals the deal.

They wait for almost an hour before the crowd has thinned enough that there are some gaps and holes through which Sophia can fit.

Guiding her daughter, Carol starts towards the viewing glass. She feels a little tremor go through Sophia but nothing like the shake she’d had at first. They make their way as close as possible before Carol gives her a little nudge. “Go ahead. I’m right here.”

It takes Sophia a couple of seconds but she finally moves forward. She first tries on one side, but the kids are too close together for her to wedge herself between them. She then goes to the other side, where bigger kids are at. She looks so tiny compared to the older kids, but she uses her height to her advantage to see between them.

“Tiggy, Mama!” She declares happily but doesn’t look towards Carol.

Not for the first time, Carol wishes she could give her daughter a normal life. A normal life away from a father who screams at her one day then ignores her the next. A life where she could be a little girl and explore the world around her without having to watch over her back in case her father got mad. A life where she didn’t have to hear her father beating the crap out of her mother. She has tried many times, but each time she has failed. She doesn’t know if she’ll get another chance, but she knows that if she does she will no doubt to try once more, for her daughter.

“Tiggy!” She hears her daughter exclaim again.

Besides Sophia, an older boy, around five or six, starts banging at the glass to catch the attention of the tigress and her cubs. Sophia quickly turns to look at him with a confused look on her face.

Carol is too far away to stop what happens next.

“No,” Sophia says with a shake of her head towards the boy. “No!”

The boy ignores her for a couple of seconds before finally turning to look at her baby.

“Move out of the way, you baby!” He declares before pushing Sophia away.

Sophia falls on her butt, her eyes wide with fear. Before Carol can get to her, Sophia’s chin starts quivering then her face crumbles completely.

“It’s alright, it’s alright,” Carol whispers over and over as she collects Sophia and cuddles her against her chest. She moves as far away from the crowd as fast as she can, her words almost a prayer as Sophia buries her face against her mother’s chest, her tears making Carol’s blouse wet.

“Shhhh, shhh, it’s okay Soph,” Carol whispers to her daughter as she gently rocks her back and forth. “I’ve got you.”

Her daughter is inconsolable, though her tears are quiet and her sobs soft. That is also a bi-product of Ed’s wrath and Carol hates him for it. Not even in her weakest times can her daughter be safe from her father.

“Is the little lady alright?” A deep, yet soothing voice comes from somewhere in front of Carol.

She shields her child automatically, putting herself between Sophia and the man.

“I mean no harm.” The man promises her.

Carol looks up at him; he is a little taller than she, with long dreaded dark hair that falls to his shoulder, dark skin and the beginnings of a beard. He is of strong build though not extremely muscular, which makes his tender smile and worried gaze deeply contrast with his stature.

“I observed what happened.” He explains. “That young man did not behave like a gentleman, and I wish to extend my most sincere apologies to the young lady on behalf of all men at this zoo.”

“She’s alright,” Carol promises just so that the man wouldn’t feel bad. “Just a little spooked.” As if to prove her mother’s point, and perhaps because she has been trained by her father to not cry in front of men, Sophia peeks a little, half of her face moving away from Carol’s chest, her thumb instantly back between her lips.

“My name is Ezekiel, what might your name be?” He asks, directing his question not at Carol but Sophia. He gives a small glance towards Carol to check if it’s alright with her that he speaks to the toddler.

Carol would normally move away, but something about that man makes her nod instead.

Sophia doesn’t answer, instead burying her face against her mother’s chest.

“Want to tell him your name, sweet pea?” Carol urges if only to show to her daughter that she doesn’t have to fear men, not all of them.

Sophia mumbles her name around her thumb and it is practically unrecognizable.

Carol would normally pull her daughter’s thumb from her mouth, but she knows it is Sophia’s security blanket when dealing with new things.

“Want to try again?” Carol asks her.

Sophia moves back to her previous position of half peeking and half hiding, before finally saying her name. “Phia.”

“Phia?” The man asks to corroborate.

“Sophia.” Carol translates.

“Oh! Sophia!” He exclaims. “Princess Sophia, it is an honor to meet you.”

Sophia giggles at the title, recognizing its importance and moves a little away from her hiding space.

“And who is this lovely lady that accompanies you today, Phia?”

Carol can’t help but blush slightly. The man has a weird way of speaking, something that reminds her of the old Shakespearean texts she studied in high school.

“Mama.” Sophia declares without moving her thumb away.

“What’s my other name, Soph?”

Sophia turns to look at her then gives her a ready smile. “Cawol.”

“Carol,” Ezekiel repeats before giving a nod toward her. “Well, Sophia and Carol, I wish to offer my sincerest apologies for the behavior of that young boy. He shouldn’t have pushed you.”

“No ban...ging.” Sophia hiccups which instantly makes her dissolve into soft giggles.

“That’s right, no one should bang against the glass, it is rude for the animals.” Ezekiel agrees with her. “To make up for his indiscretion, would Princess Sophia and Lady Carol wish to accompany me to see the tiger cubs? There is a special exhibition of the work that the zoo does with them.”

Carol instantly protests for as much as she wishes she could indulge in the exhibition and hopefully mend whatever wrong the kid had done, they have zero pocket money to spend.

“Oh. I’m afraid we cannot.” Carol whispers at the same moment that Sophia peeks up and excitedly nods at the semi-stranger. “Sorry Soph, but we can not afford it at the moment.”

“That is not an issue,” Ezekiel says confidently.

Carol is about to protest once again and remind him that they don’t know him and he shouldn’t feel obliged just because of the behavior of a stranger when he reassures her. “There is no charge, not when you know one of the zookeepers.”

Carol gives him a shake of the head. “But we don’t know any of them.”

“Nonsense, of course you do,” Ezekiel assures her, a sparkle of mischief in his eyes. “Ezekiel the zookeeper, at your service.” He does a little vow for effect, then grins at her widely. “Let me introduce you to my favorite cub, what do you say?”

Sophia turns to look at her mother, eyes wide in wonder and excitement. Her little hands raise to push against each side of Carol’s face, squeezing her cheeks. “Yes, Mama?” She asks. “Yes?”

Her daughter has had a rather tough life, and after the rough push she had just received and an equally hard landing, Carol doesn’t have the heart to deny her request.

“Is it safe?” She finally asks, turning to look at Ezekiel.

Ezekiel nods but quickly adds. “As safe as can be.”

“Tiggys, Mama?” Sophia reminds her that she hasn’t answered her request.

Smiling at her daughter she leans forward and gives her a tiny Eskimo kiss. “Alright, Tiggys it is.”


	2. Tiger Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Ezekiel's help, Carol and Sophia meet a very special tiger cub.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer:
> 
> Carol Peletier, Sophia Peletier, King Ezekiel, Henry, Jerry, Shiva, and any other recognizable character or plot of The Walking Dead belong to AMC Network and Skybound Entertainment, Image Comics and Robert Kirkman.
> 
> In no way is the author claiming ownage of any of the characters nor is there any economical/monetary gain at any time. The author is extremely respectful of the original creators and is willing to take down this work of fiction if requested.
> 
> No copyright infringement intended

Ezekiel guides them to a wooden double door surrounded by plants and vines which shows a sign that reminds people not to enter unless they work for the zoo. Normally Carol would have been much more careful of following a random man, but she has kept her distance and studied Ezekiel and nothing in his gait or way of carrying himself tells her that he is lying. Ezekiel is, after all, dressed in a zookeepers garbs and they’ve passed various other workers who have greeted him warmly.

He pushes one of the doors and keeps it open so that Carol and Sophia will pass through.

“After you, milady, Princess,” Ezekiel says with a nod of his head.

In her arms, little Sophia giggles, her eyes wide with happiness at being labeled a princess.

Once the door closes behind them, Ezekiel guides them through some gravel pathways, where another member of the zoo team waves at him, then guides them into a building. He codes in his passcode and the door unlocks.

“Do not think of me as un-gentlemanly but I must go in first to make sure it is safe for you guys.” He explains as he takes a step in. Carol waits until he beckons them in.

“Wow!” Sophia exclaims as they go into the room.

They have various habitats behind glass, not as big as the ones they had outside, but big enough for animals to frolic. Each habitat is expertly designed, looking as if they’ve taken a cut off the wild and reset it inside. If the glass and walls weren’t there, Carol would have thought they were outside. Some of the habitats have animals, but not the tigers they came to see.

“I’ve brought you in through the back door. The exhibition is open to the public, but you guys will witness the behind the scenes. That way we avoid bad children.”

“Bad.” Sophia agrees with him, not wanting another go with children who will not follow the rules.

“Yes, bad children. This way, your highness can enjoy the tiger cub on her lonesome.” He agrees with Sophia.

Sophia gives him a shy smile after making sure with her mom that she is allowed to.

“Outside we have two cubs; Bast and Jeremiah.” Ezekiel guides them further into the building until they reach a bigger enclosure. “When the exhibition takes place, they are the ones we allow our visitors to observe.”

“Why them?” Carol asks.

“They are the strongest and even as cubs they can show how lethal a tiger can be. We show the young ones how they learn to hunt, how they learn to take care of each other. ” He explains. “But my favorite tiger isn’t part of the exhibition at the moment.”

“No?” Sophia asks, just as curious as her mother. Carol can’t help but smile at her daughter’s curiosity. It is something Ed has yet to take from her and Carol wants to nourish it as much as possible so that her husband will never take it away.

“No. Shiva got hurt.”

“Oh no,” Sophia mumbles before turning to look at her mother with sad eyes, her chin already wobbling for a tiger cub she has yet to meet.

Carol leans forward and gently nuzzle her daughter’s cheek. “It’s all right Soph.” She promises. “I’m sure Mr. Ezekiel helps take care of her, makes sure she gets healthy.”

“Exactly.”

Not quite convinced, Sophia turns to look at Ezekiel. “Where Tiggy?”

“Do you want to see Shiva?” Sophia nods enthusiastically. Of course, she wants to see the tiger cub, especially where there are no children to block her view.

Ezekiel moves towards the nearest door and once more keys in his code. The door unlocks and he goes in, leaving Carol holding Sophia.

No sooner does he call out Shiva’s name that Carol sees the ruffling of vegetation through the glass of the enclosure. Out of one of the farthest clumps of bushes comes a tiny tiger, much smaller than the ones outside. She is obviously excited to hear her caregiver coming in and tries to rush to him in her excitement. That’s when Carol notices the injury or the remains of. Shiva, about the size of a Labrador pup, limps her way over to Ezekiel who squats in order for her to reach him. Her front paw doesn’t always touch the ground as she goes.

“Look, Mama!” Sophia exclaims excitedly. “Baby Tiggy.”

“I can see.” She reminds her as Sophia tries to get her to look in the direction she wants by squeezing her cheeks again and turning Carol’s face.

“Ouchie.” Sophia declares, noticing how the cub is limping. “Poor Tiggy.”

Ezekiel walks closer to the glass with Shiva following him. Sophia starts wiggling in her arms in the universal toddler sign to be let down. After making sure no animals will suddenly appear, Carol lets Sophia slide down before placing her on the floor. She watches as Sophia walks over to the glass and presses both hands on it.

“Pwetty.” She declares before squatting down so she can be at eye level with Shiva who, by now, has noticed her and moves towards the glass.

Carol joins her daughter, pressing her hand against Sophia’s back to steady her; the last thing they need is for Sophia to lose her balance and slam face-first into the glass. “What colors is she, Soph?”

“Black,” She starts listing. “White, owange!”

“Correct.”

Sophia squeals when Shiva presses herself to the glass, passing her whole body against it, her fur plastered to it. When Shiva turns and suddenly stands on hind legs by pressing one of her front paws against the glass, the other paw folded against her, Sophia gasps in surprise and leans back. Before Carol can stop the movement Sophia lands on her butt slightly hard.

“Whoops.” Carol tries to not give importance to the fall, knowing that if she doesn't show worry Sophia wouldn’t think she was hurt, but Sophia surprises her by giggling instead and playfully moving her feet side to side, completely uncaring of her fall.

“Touch Tiggy?” Sophia asks as she scoots closer and once more presses her hands against the glass, folding her legs under her.

“I’m not sure we can do that, sweet pea,” Carol admits to her. “She’s hurt, remember?”

“Oh yes,” Sophia says in a soft tone.

Ezekiel surprises her by reaching for the tiger cub and cuddling it in his arms. Once he’s got her secure, he moves towards the door, keys in his code then opens it.

For all her bravado, Sophia quickly moves to her mother’s leg, arm wrapped around it.

“Do you want to touch Shiva?”

Sophia nods against her leg but doesn’t move away from Carol. Instead, she looks up with her big hazel eyes, asking permission to touch the cub.

“She won’t hurt her, right?” Carol asks not wanting to expose her daughter to danger.

“Her claws are sharp but she won’t release them unless she feels she’s in danger. Her injury has needed a lot of tending to and thus she is used to human contact. I have a good hold on her so the chances of her hurting Princess Phia is minimal.”

“Pwease!?” Sophia begs, giving her mother her best puppy eye look.

Carol takes in a deep breath and bends down to pick up her daughter. With Sophia secured on her hip, her little legs tight around Carol’s waist, Carol reminds her to be gentle. “Not too hard, remember she’s hurt.”

Sophia nods eagerly.

“Hold out your hand, let her smell you,” Ezekiel instructs Sophia who quickly does as told. Shiva leans forward and flares her nostrils as she takes in the scent of the two new people in front of her. Once she’s gotten her fill, she presses her furry forehead against Sophia’s palm.

Sophia wiggles in her mother’s hip in excitement but doesn’t move her hand.

Shiva moves back then cuddles against the crook of Ezekiel’s arm.

“Do you want to touch her, Lady Carol?”

Carol would have normally shaken her head no, but seeing her daughter be so brave gives her the push she needs to be as curious as Sophia was.

She repeats the movements Sophia has done, though this time Shiva keeps her head against her hand. “She likes you,” Ezekiel explains. “Trusts you. I think she has recognized you are Sophia’s mother.”

“That’s a good thing, right?”

“A very good thing.”

“Down?” Sophia asks. Carol is about to answer when she notices her daughter is not addressing her but is instead talking to Ezekiel.

“Do you want to play with her?” Ezekiel asks her, amazed that Sophia doesn’t seem scared at all.

Sophia nods, her thumb once more going to her mouth. This time Carol does take the thumb out of her daughter’s mouth, knowing she’s doing it out of habit instead of uncertainty.

“We have to go into the habitat, will that be all right?”

Again Sophia nods and once more does the wiggle to be let down. Carol puts her down and no sooner has she done so that Sophia is marching towards the open door, entering the habitat as if it was just another room she was used to going in.

“Come, Mama!” Sophia beckons her. “Pway with Tiggy!”

Carol chuckles and follows her daughter inside then waits for Ezekiel to walk in and close the door behind him. Ezekiel squats once more and places Shiva on the ground in between his legs. He grabs hold of her before beckoning Sophia to them.

“Careful, be gentle.” Carol reminds her, moving along with her daughter, staying close by in case she has to snatch her out of harm's way. She trusts Ezekiel, although she doesn’t know why, to know what he is doing, but she’s a mother and Sophia’s well being was her top priority. It doesn’t matter to her if she is defending Sophia from an abusive father or an overzealous tiger cub.

“Gentle,” Sophia promises as she finally reaches Ezekiel and Shiva.

With Ezekiel guiding her hand, Sophia is soon petting Shiva as if she were just a regular cat. “Soft.” Sophia decides.

“She is soft.”

“How did she get hurt?” Carol asks Ezekiel, suddenly curious as to why a cub with such a sweet disposition had ended with an injury that not only takes long to heal but also needs human supervision.

“Shiva and Bast are from different mothers. She was playing with Bast, practicing their hunting when she bit Bast’s tail while playing. Bast cried out and her mother reacted on instinct and shoved Shiva out of the way. Shiva is smaller than Bast and the shove threw her out of the rock they were at. She didn’t land right, broke her leg in three parts. We took her out, fixed her up as best as we could. It needed surgery. She’s doing much better but still needs plenty of rehabilitation.”

Sophia continues petting Shiva, saying ‘poor Shiva’ under her breath over and over.

“Unfortunately her mother has rejected her, so placing her back with the other tigers will be an impossible feat.”

“They will hurt her,” Carol concludes.

“Precisely,” Ezekiel answers, his hand also caressing the top of Shiva's head. Shiva, for her part, shakes her head then nuzzles Sophia, her mouth opening to pass a tongue against Sophia’s hand.

“Mama! Kisses!” Sophia informs her as Shiva passes her tongue over Sophia’s fingers once more.

“That’s right, she’s giving you kisses.” Ezekiel agrees with her, making not only Sophia smile but Carol as well. The fact that Ezekiel takes the time to include Sophia in their conversation without babying her, and reassuring her observation, is not passed over. It warms Carol in a way she has never felt before.

“What will happen to her?” Carol asks suddenly very worried over the cub her daughter is obviously connecting with.

“It is unsure. We will make sure she is fully healed before taking her out to the general animal population. Worst case scenario she needs to be placed by her own.” Ezekiel replies honestly. “Best case, once she’s fully healed, older and rehabilitated, the ambush will welcome her back. It almost never happens so we are preparing for the worst-case scenario. For now though, she’s happy being the center of attention.”

Shiva does look happy, all cuddled by Ezekiel. She is letting out a soft chuffing sound, not quite a purr but definitively a sound of contentment. “Isn’t that right, Shiva?”

Shiva replies with another chuffing sound and a wiggle of her ears.

“Mama, kisses?” Sophia asks her, turning to look at Carol without removing her hand from Shiva’s head.

“You want to give mama a kiss?” She asks Sophia surprised. Her daughter isn’t one to ask if she can kiss her, usually peppering her face with kisses whenever she feels like it, unless her father is around, so her question surprises her. Sophia instead only shakes her head with a tiny grin.

“No,” Sophia informs her. “Shiva kisses.”

“Oh!” Carol exclaims, now fully understanding her daughter.

Sophia reaches for her hand and gently guides it to Shiva’s head as if she has been introducing people to tigers all her life. Carol goes along with it, smiling at her daughter. Shiva accepts her touch easily enough and in no time she’s chuffing loudly as Carol caresses her fur.

A quick check at her watch tells Carol that they have to leave soon if they want to make it back home in time to calm down from the zoo trip and have something cooked and ready to serve for Ed. She hates to break her daughter’s happiness so suddenly but they have to go if they hope to be able to come back and visit Shiva and Ezekiel.

“Soph?” Carol says softly. “It’s time to go baby. Can you say goodbye to Shiva?”

Sophia pouts once more, this time even more pronounced. She knows though that there is nothing they can do so she nods and turns to look at Shiva.

“Bye, bye Shiva.” She says with a soft sad tone, caressing the cub’s head and paw as gently as she can. Sophia suddenly stops her movement and turns to look at Carol with wide eyes and mischief.

“Take?” Sophia suddenly asks wanting to know if they can actually take Shiva with them. Carol laughs and Ezekiel chuckles along with her.

“I’m afraid not, sweet pea.” She explains to her daughter. “She’s hurt and she needs the help of the zookeepers.”

“Later?” Sophia sneakily added.

“Oh, I wish we could, Soph.” She says before bending to give her daughter’s head a kiss. “But she’s gonna get big and strong. We don’t have space for her at home. She needs to be free and happy, surrounded by nature and we don’t have that at home.”

Sophia pouts, visibly deflating at the thought of not being able to keep Shiva.

“Plus, Ezekiel is going to miss her. She’s going to miss him. We don’t want them to be sad, do we?”

Sophia shakes her head, her pigtails jumping around as she does. “No.” She still gives a little pout and a sigh.

“You are welcome to visit anytime, little princess.” Ezekiel offers. “You can just ask any of the zookeepers and request an audit with Miss. Shiva. They will contact me and I will bring you to her lair.”

Sophia’s eyes quickly turn to look at Ezekiel, her little mouth dropping open. “Weally?” She asks. “Weally, weally?”

No man in Sophia’s life has ever given her the importance that Ezekiel is now giving her, and Sophia’s face shows not only the surprise but the complete giddiness that she feels. To any mother, this might have been just something that was expected for their kids, but Carol and Sophia’s life, especially Sophia’s, hadn’t always been what was expected. To see someone who wasn’t her mother show interest in what she wanted and facilitate her getting it, was something very new for Sophia.

“Really, really,” Ezekiel promises, using one of his fingers to make a cross over his heart. Sophia giggles but does the same even though she doesn’t really know what it means.

After Ezekiel has released Shiva and they have left the enclosure, Sophia quickly turns to look at Shiva and waves at her from her mother’s arms. Shiva, despite being hurt, once more goes on both paws and tries to scratch at the glass as if trying to get them to come back or go with them.

“She really seems to like you both,” Ezekiel comments as they make their way out of the building and through the gravel path. “I’ve never seen her respond to any of the families when she was part of the exhibition, not as she did to both of you.”

“I think its the baby cuteness factor,” Carol replies with a grunt as she secures Sophia once more against her hip. Sophia lays her head against Carol’s shoulder and neck, her thumb moving to her mouth. Carol doesn’t move it away because she knows her daughter is feeling a little emotional from leaving the tiger cub behind. “You can’t say no to this freckled face, can you Soph?”

Sophia sakes her head against her mother’s neck.

“Thank you, for letting us see Shiva,” Carol says once they are back to the general area of the zoo.

Ezekiel gives them a soft smile, a light red color settling on his cheeks. Carol finds herself blushing as well and looking down.

If Ed were to see her now she would no doubt get a beating back at home, but there is something of Ezekiel that seems to make her forget Ed’s existence completely. Something tells her that if it wasn’t for time running out they could comfortably spend all day playing with Shiva and talking.

“It was an honor,” Ezekiel replies, still blushing slightly, his hands locking behind his back. “The offer for play with Shiva is real. Just come in and ask any of the zookeepers for me.”

“Thank you, you… you don’t know what it means for Sophia and me.”

Turning to look at her daughter, Carol searches for her eyes which Sophia tries to hide in a never-ending gave of peek-a-boo they’ve had since she was a baby. “Can you say thank you, Ezekiel?” Carol asks her.

What Sophia does next thoroughly amazes her. Not only does she turn and move her chest away from Carol in order to find Ezekiel, but she extends her arms out in the universal sign to be picked up. Ezekiel turns to look at Carol, asking permission to accept the hug. Carol is almost astonished at what she is witnessing but eventually nods at him.

Sophia is transferred from Carol’s motherly embrace to Ezekiel’s. She leans forward and plants a kiss on his cheek, giggling when his beard tickles her. She then wraps her arms around his neck in a tight hug before pulling back and saying “Thank you,” in her soft, toddler voice.

When Carol extends her arms for her to come back, Sophia goes willingly then settles as she once was with her body leaning against Carol and her little face tucked into her neck.

“Thank you,” Carol whispers once more before starting her way away from Ezekiel and out of the zoo.

She can feel Sophia waving as they move away and can’t help but turn to look over her shoulder only to find Ezekiel waving back.

She doesn’t know how they ended the day like this, but she knows it is a day neither she nor her daughter will soon forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Term explanations:
> 
> 1) Ambush: name given to a family of tigers.  
> 2) Chuffing: the sound tigers do to show their happiness. Since they cannot purr they do a chuffing sound.
> 
> Leave me a review if you are enjoying this story!


	3. Panic at the Zoo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This IS the worst moment of Carol’s life, and that includes having been beaten by her husband.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer:
> 
> Carol Peletier, Sophia Peletier, King Ezekiel, Henry, Jerry, Shiva, and any other recognizable character or plot of The Walking Dead belong to AMC Network and Skybound Entertainment, Image Comics and Robert Kirkman.
> 
> In no way is the author claiming ownage of any of the characters nor is there any economical/monetary gain at any time. The author is extremely respectful of the original creators and is willing to take down this work of fiction if requested.
> 
> No copyright infringement intended.

It takes them three days to come back. Ed worked from the apartment for two days because the offices were being fumigated, which in turn tied Carol and Sophia to staying locked up, trying to not set off Ed’s rampage.

That’s why as soon as Ed is out the door, Carol rushes to her daughter’s bedside and thinks of dozens of ways she could break the news to her little one.

With the most tender caress of her finger against the bridge of Sophia’s nose, Carol has to suppress a soft giggle as her daughter scrunches her face in sleep. She continues gently tracing her nose until Sophia is squirming, a soft smile on her lips. They’ve done this before, every time Ed has been out of the picture. She’s sure by now her daughter knows that when she wakes up this way it means they will have some type of adventure.

She cannot wait to tell her they are going to visit Shiva and Ezekiel.

Knowing by now her daughter is pretending to be asleep, Carol starts to tickle her sides earning full belly giggles from her daughter.

“No! Mama!” Sophia drops her act right away, squirming and twisting to get away from the tickling. “It tickles!”

“The tickle monster has you,” Carol grumbles playfully before catching Sophia again and tickling her once more.

With the tickling over and Sophia snuggling against her mother’s chest as Carol sits on her bed, they take a moment to fully wake up.

“Guess what we are doing today, sweet pea.”

Sophia turns up to look at her with a huge smile on her face, her eyes as wide as Carol has ever seen them. “Tiggy?” Sophia asks in reply.

“Well, yes we are going back to the zoo if you’d like to go.” Sophia eagerly nods at her offer. “I’m not sure if we’ll be able to see Shiva, but we can ask for Ezekiel.”

“Yes, please,” Sophia begs sweetly.

“All right, but first we have to fill that belly with warm food.” She says as she poked her daughter’s middle. “What do you say?”

“Food!” Sophia exclaims before climbing off her lap and rushing out of the room.

“I guess I’ll take that as a yes.”

Their breakfast consists of a sunny side up egg, a piece of toast, a tall glass of milk for Sophia, and a glass of water for Carol. She wants her daughter to grow strong so she always gives her the share of milk that Ed has decreed Carol can drink a day.

Once they’ve had breakfast, Carol makes sure that Sophia looks her absolute best with a blue shirt with a rainbow on the chest and blue pants to match. Sophia’s strawberry blond hair gets pulled back with a headband, leaving her face free as she names the colors on the rainbow graphic. Carol puts on her daughter a tiny pair of well-worn sneakers which Sophia insists on tying herself.

“Bunny ear.” Sophia declares as she makes the first loop. “Bunny ear.” She tries the second but loses hold of the first loop. “Oh no!”

“Try again, you can do it sweet pea.” Carol urges.

“Bunny ear,” Sophia repeats as she does the loop again then presses the tip of her tongue to her top lip. She tries to say ‘Bunny ear’ again but it comes out all jumbled. “Twist and... nose!” She finishes, making a knot which to her looks like the bunny’s nose. “Mama! I did it!”

“Good job, Sophia!” Carol praises her daughter’s work. “Want to try the other one?”

After repeating the same process to tie her other shoe, Sophia goes to watch cartoons while Carol gets ready.

What should she wear?

Everything she has looks too plain and big, chosen by Ed to hide her body.

She wants to look good, not because she is going to see Ezekiel -though the thought of seeing the man who has been so giving to her daughter and her makes butterflies fly in her stomach- but because she wants to feel as confident as she can when she requests to see Ezekiel. She pulls up various items, presses them against her body, but ultimately discards them.

With a sigh, Carol settles on a brown blouse and dark blue capris. She puts on a pair of sandals and looks at herself in the mirror. She doesn’t feel gorgeous when her tired expression stares back at her but since she has no one to impress she shrugs it off and reaches for her black bag.

“Come on Sophia.” She calls out to her daughter as she moves to the door. She hears the click of the tv turning off then the pitter-patter of Sophia’s feet which first run away then towards her. She sees why as soon as her daughter runs to her side.

“Are you sure you want to take your dolly with you?” Carol asks her.

Sophia looks up at her mom and nods, cuddling her doll close. “Show Shiva!” She declares.

“But what if you lose it?”

Sophia bites her lip as she thinks and Carol can’t help but smile as she sees the thoughts parade across her daughter’s face.

Sophia shakes her head and holds the dolly tightly. “All right, you can bring her along.”

Sophia holds tightly to her doll all the way from the apartment to the bus stop, thru the bus ride and the short walk from the stop to the zoo.

At first, Carol tries to distract Sophia with other animals. She takes her to see the giraffes and the elephants, they spend some time with the monkeys and the birds, but eventually Sophia asks for the umpteenth time about Shiva and Carol knows that she has to face her own fear in order to give her daughter what she wants.

“All right. We’ll go ask for Mr. Ezekiel.” She assures her as Sophia reaches for her hand.

They walk towards the nearest customer service kiosk where a young girl with a high ponytail and hair that runs for miles down her back, greets her. “Are you lost, ma’am?”

“No, I’m actually looking for one of the caretakers.” Carol starts, her voice so soft she barely hears herself. Besides her, Sophia let’s go of her hand to try and reach the edge of the low counter. She barely grasps it, her little fingers turning white.

“Oh, who is it that you wish to speak to?”

“He said his name was Ezekiel.”

“Ezekiel?” The girl asks with a look of confusion.

“Yes?” Carol answers unsure. She was pretty sure of the name but not so sure as to why the girl didn’t seem to know him. “Tall, dark skin, hair in dreads, speaks funny.”

“Oh! You mean Zeke!” The girl perks up right away, already reaching for the walkie talkie. “Let me get him for you.”

“Thank you.”

“King Zeke, come in.” The girls says then waits for confirmation from the other side. Carol has no idea why she calls him King Zeke but decides to remain quiet.

“Yes, Lady Lilian?”

“I have a woman here wishing to talk to you. Her name is...”

“Carol.” Carol tells her as soon as Lilian turns to look at her.

“Lady Carol,” Lilian informs him with a smirk.

“I shall make my way to your tower, Lady Lilian.”

Lilian turns towards Carol and smiles. “Zeke will be here soon.”

Carol smiles at her, her belly filling with tiny flutters which she quickly suppresses. “Did you hear that Soph?” She asks, turning to look down at where she had last seen her daughter.

Instead of her red-haired angel looking up at her, she finds emptiness.

“Sophia?” She calls out, turning sharply to look around her. “Sophia!?”

A quick look around reveals nothing but other families looking at her in confusion. “Sophia?” She calls out once more, her voice is louder and sharper. “Soph?! Baby where are you?”

Mothers around her instantly hold tighter to their children, looking at her with pity and some with accusation which runs deep into her core. “Has anyone seen a little girl? She’s wearing a blue shirt with a rainbow? She has a headband and a doll? Anyone?”

People shake their head around her. Vaguely she hears Lilian warning everyone that a little girl has been lost and that she answers to the name of Sophia.

Carol goes fully into panic mode. Everything around her becomes a blur as she searches for her daughter. Faces swim in and out of focus, words become a jumbled mess that she cannot comprehend. “Sophia?!” She cries again as tears run down her face. “Sophia baby! Come to mommy!”

“Sophia!”

Where is her baby?

She jumps sharply when she feels a hand close around her shoulder. She pushes back instinctively, covering her face, forgetting where she is momentarily.

“Carol? Carol?”

Instead of seeing Ed’s face screaming at her for a daughter he doesn’t love or want, she finds Ezekiel’s kind expression and worried eyes.

“Ezekiel.” She whispers before pushing herself into his arms instinctively. “I can’t find Sophia. She was standing beside me... she has her dolly, she wanted to show it to Shiva. I was holding her hand but she let go because she wanted to see... I never let her go and now she’s gone. I can’t find her.” She mumbles against his chest and hair.

Ezekiel holds tightly to her. “We are gonna locate her. Fear not.”

“Where is she?” She mumbles against his chest, her hand holding tightly to his shirt, her knees buckling under her.

The next hour is the hardest in her life. Everyone around her reassures her they will find Sophia but no one does. The zoo has been contained so no one will leave and the walkie is in constant use. She eventually loses all energy and Ezekiel holds her tighter, kissing the top of her head and promising they will continue looking for her.

What will she do without her little daughter? Without Sophia?

Sophia, who is the light of her life.

Sophia, who is so pure in her ways.

Sophia, who despite her father, still loves and cherishes those that love her.

Sophia, who brought her dolly to show to little Shiva in the hopes that it would help the cub feel better and grow stronger.

“We got her!” Carol hears a voice come through the walkie secured on Ezekiel’s hip. She can hear the faint crying of her daughter and she reacts instinctively reaching for it.

“Sophia! Sophia, where are you?”

She lets go of the transmission button only to hear the confusion she has caused by taking the walkie. She hands the walkie to Ezekiel who in turn takes her hand and starts guiding her to where she assumes her daughter is at.

When she finally sees Sophia she feels a relief she has never felt before. It slams into her chest and takes away her breath. It blurs her vision with tears and makes her whole body tremble.

Sophia is looking down at the floor as a woman, dressed very much like Ezekiel, crouches in front of her. Her hair covers her face. Her little arms are wrapped around her waist. Her tiny foot digging a hole as she stands beside the door Ezekiel had guided them through three days ago.

“Sophia!” She finally calls out and her little daughter’s tear-stained face turns to look at her.

Sophia’s face breaks into a smile. She moves away from the women and rushes towards her mother. “MAMA!”

Carol falls to her knees, letting go of Ezekiel’s hand, her arms open to receive her precious baby who plummets against her. Sophia practically melts into her embrace as they hold tightly to each other. “Sophia,” Carol whispers over and over, alternating between holding her daughter close and making sure she is unharmed.

“Sorry Mama,” Sophia whispers against her neck. “Sorry.”

“It seems she wanted to see the hurt cub and decided to go search for her. She found her way here but couldn’t open the door so she started to make her way back but got lost.” The woman that had been knelt in front of Sophia explained. “She came back here, where we found her.”

Carol looks at Sophia and shakes her head lovingly. “Sophia you can’t do that. You have to stay by my side.”

“But...”. Sophia stuttered, a wave of fresh tears coming down her face. “Daddy’s not here.”

Carol shakes her head once more, her cheeks reddening. “Doesn’t matter.” She whispers to her. “I thought I would never see you again. I thought someone had taken you.”

“Wanted tiggy.”

“I know, but you scared mama,” Carol explains. “I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you, sweet pea.”

Sophia’s small hands go to her mother's cheeks, brushing away Carol’s tears. “Sorry, Mama.” She whispers. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Carol embraces her again, burying her face in Sophia’s strawberry blond hair, taking in a deep breath and inhaling her daughter's sweet scent. “It’s ok baby, it’s ok.” She whispers.

When they have both calmed down and assured each other that they are both fine, Ezekiel guides them into the building that houses tiny Shiva while she recuperates. Though she can see her daughter is dying to rush towards Shiva, who is anxiously pacing back and forth, Sophia waits, walking by her side. Carol squeezes her hand. Only when they stand in front of the window does Carol let her go. Sophia rushes towards the cub who stands on two paws. She can see that Shiva is looking her over, taking in everything. It’s almost as if she’s making sure that Sophia is all right. It’s impossible though, Carol tells herself. How could Shiva have known?

“Oh no!” Sophia suddenly exclaims, her shoulders slumping.

“What is it sweet pea!” Carol says.

“Are you all right, Princess Sophia?” Ezekiel choruses.

“I lost her.” Sophia whimpers, her chin quivering once more, tears gathering in her hazel eyes. “Lost dolly.”

“Oh sweetheart,” Carol whispers as she moves to her. “It’s all right.”

“We can get you another dolly,” Ezekiel promises.

Carol isn’t so sure that she can follow thru with that promise. Sophia has grown up always with the essentials, the bare minimum. It had taken a lot of convincing for Ed to give her the money to get her that rag doll. She knows that the moment Ed finds out that the doll had been lost all hell will break loose.

Sophia, knowing well that she won’t be getting another dolly, shakes her head. She raises her arms to be picked up and Carol quickly does so.

“I’m sorry,” Sophia repeats and Carol finds herself rocking from side to side to calm her.

“Would you like to play with Shiva instead?” Ezekiel offers.

A quick glance at Shiva tells Carol that the tiger cub has calmed down. Shiva is still attentive to what is happening on the other side of the glass but she is now laying on her belly, her front paws stretched in front of her, her ears twitching.

She looks at Sophia who is, in turn, looking at Ezekiel as she nods in response to his question. She soon starts wiggling in her mother arms to be out down so Carol lowers her to the ground.

They are both patient as Ezekiel opens the door. They follow him inside but stay back as he puts himself between them and the cub. Sophia doesn’t move until he beckons her towards them. Carol watches carefully as Sophia does as instructed by Ezekiel. Eventually, she’s sitting in front of Shiva, petting her fur as if she was just a regular house cat.

With her daughter sitting nearby and little Shiva laying comfortably in front of her, Carol presses herself to the wall and feels herself slowly slide to the floor.

“Easy,” Ezekiel whispers as he guides her down.

“I’m all right.” She promises but closes her eyes for a second, taking in a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

“Do not be,” Ezekiel begs her before taking his place beside her on the floor, their shoulders pressing. “She is your daughter, her well being is your utmost priority. I cannot fathom what you must have felt to find her missing.”

Carol’s shoulders start shaking but she quickly forces herself to stop, not wanting to worry her daughter who by now is gently scratching Shiva’s torso, the tiger cub chuffing as she turns and offers Sophia her belly to scratch.

“She’s my everything.” She admits as she naturally leans her head against Ezekiel’s shoulder. “I was so scared. If anything had happened to her I don’t think I’d be able to...”

“Nothing shall happen to her, not under my watch, milady,” Ezekiel promises, his hand moving to search for hers.

Carol doesn’t know why but his touch calms her tremendously. She can’t help but look at their hands; the contrast in color, the way their fingers intertwine perfectly, the way her hand simply seems to fit in his. Holding Ed’s hand had never felt like this and it confuses her tremendously. How can a man she barely knows make her feel protected and secure? How can he make her feel butterflies in her stomach when he smiles at her? Or at peace when he talks to her in that weird way he talks?

Catching a glimpse of her wedding ring, she quickly pulls her hand away and folds it on her lap.

Shame washes over her without her truly understanding why. She had leaned against him as she cried for Sophia, she had allowed him to hold her hand, she had leaned her head against his shoulder.

Ezekiel is bringing out something in her she doesn’t recognize, doesn’t understand and is deeply afraid of.

Perhaps Ed has been right all along; perhaps she was truly is a harlot.

“I do not wish to make you uncomfortable.” Ezekiel’s voice interrupts her train of thought. “I am ecstatic that you and Sophia have honored us with your presence, but if I have done anything to make you uncomfortable I wish to take it back.”

“You haven’t,” Carol promises him, turning her body towards him. “I... don’t know how to explain this; you are everything Sophia and I are not used to.”

“That is a shame,” Ezekiel tells her looking straight into her eyes. “You two should know nothing but happiness.”

“Thank you.” She whispers to him, her voice breaking as she does. “Sophia was so happy to come back and play with Shiva. It was all she could talk about on the way over. She even brought her dolly so she could show it to her.”

“I'll have someone combing through the zoo. If her dolly is still here we will find it.”

Carol gives a little nod of gratitude and turns to look once more at her daughter. “I can’t help but see how happy she is here and I want her to be this happy all the time. If only...” She trails off, not daring to complete her thoughts.

“Whatever it is that ails you, whoever it is that hurts you,” Ezekiel whispers, once more reaching for her hand and giving it a little squeeze. “Whatever it is, please try and forget it. It doesn’t exist here, it never shall. Here, you and Sophia are welcome and cherished, especially by Shiva and I. We want nothing else but to see smiles upon your lips and hear laughter from your heart.”

“But why?” Carol can’t help but ask. She wishes it could be as easy to forget about Ed as he makes it sound, but he is ingrained in her very bones, bones he has broken dozens of times. He is the voice in her head telling her she does everything wrong. He is the one that pummels all her insecurities to the foreground of her mind. “Why do you like us? Why do you allow Sophia and me back here?”

“Because...” he replies. “Because you are perfect and your love for Sophia is so strong and pure. Sophia is an angel. I couldn’t stand her tears, I wanted to wash them away and replace them with smiles. I wanted you to feel like you didn’t have to distance yourself from others like you did when I first saw you.”

“You don’t know me.” Carol reminds him, trying to understand what it was that he saw in them. “Not really, nor do you know Sophia.”

“And yet the moment I saw you, I felt like I had known you all my life,” Ezekiel admits to her.

Carol stares at him, unsure of what he means, of what he wants from her. Unsure of what she feels for him.

“I know it is not my place to feel this way,” Ezekiel tells her, his hand squeezing hers gently before bringing it up to her lips. “And you are right; as much as I feel that I know you, I don’t have that honor, but what I do know I have liked and I wish to get to know you and Sophia more. If it is in your heart to allow me to do so I will embrace the opportunity wholeheartedly.”

“I am married.”

“I want nothing more than whatever you want to give me.” He promises. “If that means only seeing you two when Shiva gets visits, then I am glad and grateful to spend that time with you.”

Carol doesn’t know how they ended there; how their conversation turned into something she can’t comprehend but deeply feels. It is new and exciting and scary and intimidating at the same time. And if Ed ever finds out about it he will certainly punish her.

Ezekiel is offering to stand by her side without knowing what she brings with her, without wanting anything but her friendship if that’s all she is willing to give. She might not understand what she is feeling but she knows that Ezekiel’s friendship is pure and something she needs now more than ever.

A quick look at Sophia, who is now laying besides Shiva looking at the clouds painted in the ceiling and telling the cub whose head rests on her belly, all the shapes she sees, Carol can’t help but feel the wave of peace wash over her once more.

Losing Sophia for that hour had been the worst moment of her life, but it unchained something that had been locked within her, begging to get out and which had finally found a home in Ezekiel’s embrace. There was no denying it.

If only she wasn’t married; then she would allow herself to be curious about what she felt and about what the future could bring. Perhaps then the affection she felt for Ezekiel, despite just meeting him, could be further explored, perhaps it would turn into something beautiful that she could cherish. If she wasn’t married to Ed perhaps she could explore this new opportunity that had been laid down in front of her.

But she is married to Ed and there is nothing else she can do but be his friend and push back all other feelings and possibilities.

“Friends?” He says, repositioning his hand so that they can shake on it.

“Friends.” Carol agrees.

By the time they have to leave, Sophia is exhausted and doesn’t protest much when Carol picks her up. She has spent all afternoon playing with a tiger cub and now her eyes close unwillingly. They go through the whole process of leaving Shiva’s space and as Carol is preparing to leave the building Ezekiel stops her.

He begs for her to wait right where she is, then disappears. When he comes back he is holding a plush tiger, the kind whose fur is soft and vibrant. “We have this as gifts for the children who answer all questions correctly at the end of the exhibition. It’s not a dolly but hopefully it will extend Sophia’s happiness beyond the walls of the zoo.”

Sophia eagerly accepts the toy then cuddles it close to her. Carol knows there is no giving it back and that she will have to find a credible excuse to explain to Ed the appearance of the toy.

If it ends in a beating she will gladly power through it if it means that Sophia retains the happiness in her smile.

“What do we say, sweet pea?”

“Thank you,” Sophia whispers before nuzzling the tiger with her nose.

“You are welcome, Princess Sophia.”

Sophia smiles brightly at him and at that moment Carol knows this is the start of an adventure with no clear ending, an adventure she wants so much to be a part of.

On their way to the bus stop, Sophia tells her she cannot wait to come back to the zoo.

Although Carol only admits it to herself, she finds herself nodding along to Sophia’s words and agreeing with her wholeheartedly.

She cannot wait to come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave me comments and kudos for you liked this! They feed me!


	4. Her Darkest Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ed reacted just like she suspected and now she hates the evidence of his rage.
> 
> WARNING: mention of physical abuse and description of injuries are contained within this chapter. Nothing too gory or descriptive but can be triggering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer:
> 
> Carol Peletier, Sophia Peletier, King Ezekiel, Henry, Jerry, Shiva, and any other recognizable character or plot of The Walking Dead belong to AMC Network and Skybound Entertainment, Image Comics and Robert Kirkman.
> 
> In no way is the author claiming ownage of any of the characters nor is there any economical/monetary gain at any time. The author is extremely respectful of the original creators and is willing to take down this work of fiction if requested.
> 
> No copyright infringement intended.

Sophia has been plastered to her side ever since it happened, perched on her hip when she’s standing, head resting against her shoulder, a hand holding tightly to her plush tiger and another to the neck of her mother’s blouse, or resting against her chest when she sits down.

Just like she had predicted, the moment Ed saw the tiger her daughter was playing with, he had flown into a rage, accusing her of spending all his hard-earned money on something as stupid as a plush toy. His fist had followed his accusations and though he had made sure to get most of the hits in places she could cover, he had left a hand imprint on her arm and a shinner on her left eye.

As soon as he had left the apartment, Carol had broken down crying, holding tightly to a terrified Sophia. He hadn’t hurt their daughter, that was really all that mattered to her.

Seeing the state her daughter was in, Carol decided to brave the world. She’d gotten her daughter ready with the promise of a visit to the zoo, had tried to cover the black eye she sported only to give up and dig out the ratty pair of sunglasses she owned, then proceeded to walk from their apartment all the way to the zoo. It had cleared her mind and calmed Sophia down enough to brave the racket of the place.

Its a weekend day and the zoo is as full as they’ve ever seen it. Parents walk around holding hands, children laugh as they rush to press themselves against the glass that separates them from the animals they’ve come to visit. Happy families surround them, a direct contrast to the state both her daughter and she are in. Not for the first time in her life she wishes she could be one of the women who pass in front of her; loved by their husbands, with children who laugh and play around, unafraid of the fathers who chase them to tickle them or hoist them over their heads. 

She can’t help but fix her eyes on a couple that passes in front of her. They are holding hands, the man gently smoothing his finger over his wife’s skin, the woman wearing a beautiful smile as she smooths a hand over her swollen belly. The man’s other hand holding on to a little girl with pigtails in an attempt to hold her back from rushing to the nearest exhibit. They look perfect, they seem happy. How she wishes that Sophia and she were that woman and daughter.

In the blink of an eye, the man is replaced by a taller man, his skin darker, hair longer and pulled back by a couple of his dreads. The woman is replaced by a slightly shorter woman with a head full of curly hair that twists and turns with her movement. She too is pregnant with her second child and flaunts her belly without a care in the world, without the fear of the father growing angry at the knowledge of its existence. The daughter is replaced by a younger girl, hair still in pigtails, a sprinkling of freckles on her cheeks and nose as she excitedly exclaims she wants to see the tigers. “Tiggies Papa!” She declares and the man happily guides them to the correct window. “Mama, Tiggies!”

She’s pulled back from her daydreaming by her daughter’s gentle tap on her hand. “Tiggy, Mama?” Sophia holds on tighter to both her and to the tiny tiger she holds against her chest. Her eyes looking up into her mother’s with the hope that it will get her a trip to see Shiva.

“Not today, my love.”

Sophia has always been well-behaved, rarely throwing a fit. Today is no different as she gives her mom a little nod before snuggling against her once more. “Hungry, Mama.” She admits. Carol has to stifle a groan for she’s not sure she has enough money to get her daughter any food.

With a prayer to find something on the cheap side, she stands from the bench, hoists Sophia against her hip and starts walking towards the food court. By the time she makes it there and looks at what the food court has to offer, Sophia is playing with the curls of her hair, rubbing her Tiggy against them, completely oblivious to her mother’s worry. She only has $5 dollars to her name, which according to the menu will get her a small kids drink and a kids meal which consist of an apple or banana and half a sandwich. It will have to do, she will not allow her daughter to go hungry.

“Soph? Do you want ham or turkey?” She asks her daughter who instantly perks up, making chomping movements with her lips like she had seen little Shiva do.

“Ham!” Sophia answers quickly before going back to her playing, hiding her tiger’s face amidst the mass that was her mother’s hair.

“Banana or apple?”

Sophia turns to look at her mother once more, humming to herself as she ponders her answer. “Nana!” She finally answers before quickly declaring. “Apple juice!”

“Banana and apple juice it is.”

As she makes the line to pay, a tray in one hand and Sophia in the other arm, Carol can’t help but pray that she’ll have enough. It is only when she has one person left before her and her tray is on the ‘line’ to be paid, that she realizes that they are charging tax and that makes her short. Her anxiety spikes and Sophia reacts to it right away, burying her face in her mother’s hair. She takes a step back just as the young man charging starts scanning her things.

“That will be $5.30, ma’am.”

She blushes bright red. It’s only thirty cents but to her, it feels like she made line with absolutely zero dollars in her pockets. She feels her face heating up as she rearranges Sophia on her hip. “I uh...”

She’s about to tell him that she’s changed her mind, instead of admitting that she doesn’t have the 30 extra cents when a strong presence suddenly appears beside her. She sees him hand his staff card to the man before he produces a couple of bills. “I got it.”

“No, its all right,” Carol says just as Sophia realizes who their knight in shining armor is.

“Zekey!” Her daughter declares loudly, producing the first smile she has seen her wear since her father punched her mother.

“No, really,” Carol says as she takes another step back. She shakes her free hand at the young man who pauses, confused no doubt, and stares at the couple in front of him.

“It would be my honor, milady,” Ezekiel tells her as he bends his head just slightly, a small vow which makes her daughter let out a tiny giggle that she tries to stifle behind a cupped hand against her mouth.

Carol stares at Ezekiel from behind her shades for a couple of seconds before Sophia takes matters in her own hands and places a hand on either side of her mother’s face. “Mama.” She says as she gently guides Caro’s face to turn so that she can look at her. Carol can’t help but inwardly smile at her daughter’s gentle touch. Sophia knows that her cheek and eye hurt and she’s doing her best to be gentle. “I’m hungry.” She repeats.

With a sigh, Carol presses her forehead against her daughters. She has to suppress the sudden desire to cry and instead nods. Money is quickly exchanged as she cradles her daughter close and gives her a kiss on the forehead.

Ezekiel moves to take her tray, placing his own cup of steaming coffee on it. “Lead the way.” He motions with a dip of his head to the side.

Carol, still a little withdrawn and attempting to hide the evidence of her husband’s violence, quickly moves ahead of him and guides him towards the nearest empty bench and table. She lets Sophia down gently on the seat and her daughter quickly sits down, her little feet dangling high above the ground as she waits patiently to be served her food. As soon as Ezekiel places the tray on the table, Carol reaches for Sophia’s juice and separates the plastic straw. In seconds she has it ready for her daughter who eagerly accepts it. She then unwraps the half of sandwich and puts it close to Sophia.

“What do we say, sweet pea?” She asks her daughter. With a gentle hand, she pushes away her daughter’s bangs back to allow her a clear face while eating.

“Thank you,” Sophia says before munching on her ham sandwich.

Carol turns to look at him from behind the protection of her shades. She gives him a small smile, small enough that it won’t cause a wince by moving the sore and swollen muscles of her face. “Thank you.”

Ezekiel looks at her for a long second before turning towards Sophia. Carol follows his gaze only to find Sophia stuffing her face with the ham sandwich. “Slow down Soph,” Carol begs her, pulling the hand that holds the munched food slightly away from her. “I don’t want you to choke.”

“Hungry,” Sophia says between mouthfuls.

“I know, my love, but I don’t want your tummy hurting later.”

“Nana?” Sophia asks as she looks at the fruit curiously.

“Want me to show you how monkeys open them?” Ezekiel asks Sophia who eagerly nods, pigtails flying as she does.

Ezekiel proceeds to show her. “Monkeys are extremely complex creatures, little princess. We take a banana and vainly attempt to open it from the wrong end. We struggle when they are past their prime and go mushy.”

Sophia makes a face that tells the adults just what she thinks of mushy bananas.

“A monkey is smart, must not spend too much time opening fruits when there are vast jungles to explore. He turns the fruit and pinches the end then pulls the vine aside.” Ezekiel demonstrates as he talks, opening the banana from the bottom, easily peeling it in two. Carol isn’t sure if that will work with a mushy banana and makes a note to herself to check it out later, but her daughter is amazed at how easy her fruit has been peeled and for that, she is extremely grateful.

Ezekiel seems to have a magic way to erase her daughter’s fear and sadness and replace it with amazement and smiles. Carol can’t help but let the side of her lip curl slightly, battling the stronger beating of her heart and the butterflies that seem to take flight at the knowledge that her daughter feels safe with Ezekiel, not only when Shiva is near, but even when she’s just faced the scariest thing she’s ever been around, her own father. She’s not sure exactly what she’s feeling, but she knows that having Ezekiel near thrills her far more that it should.

“Nana!” Sophia declares as he hands it to her. She bites into it happily before offering her mother a bite.

Carol leans forward, opening her mouth to take a bite. Her sunglasses slide down her nose slightly and she quickly pushes them back. She hopes Ezekiel hasn’t caught a glimpse of anything.

“Thank you.” She tells Sophia who gives her a nod then offers Ezekiel a bite.

“Has the princess of our zoo come to visit the youngest tiger today?” Ezekiel asks, his voice a little more formal than before.

Sophia nods eagerly but then shakes her head. She turns to look at her mom as if to ask silently if anything has changed. When Carol shakes her head Sophia’s smile falls. Her pigtails fly as she shakes her head once more.

“May I question the reason behind not visiting Shiva?”

Sophia bites her lip and gives him a shrug. Carol can’t blame her daughter for answering that way. She hadn’t taken the time to explain to Sophia why they couldn’t visit Shiva; she couldn’t tell her daughter that she was ashamed of the marks Ed had left on her skin, that she didn’t want the kind zookeeper to see them and think she deserved them. It had been much easier to simply tell her that today they wouldn’t visit the tigers and to leave it at that. Sophia hadn’t questioned it and she hadn’t elaborated.

“Have I or Shiva done something to warrant staying away?”

At his question, Carol quickly raises her head. 

Ezekiel thought that they weren’t visiting because he had done something? Because Shiva had done something? He had been nothing but a perfect gentleman, a friend, to both her and her daughter. How could he think that?

“It’s not that.” Carol quickly assures him. “We just don’t want to bother you. You’ve been kind to us, you are a friend, but we don’t want to overstay our welcome.”

She can see that Ezekiel visibly sighs in relief at not being the reason they didn’t want to visit Shiva. She can still see a bit of sadness in his eyes, and she wishes she could erase it but remains quiet. The silence stretches between them while Sophia finishes the rest of her lunch, then as Ezekiel finishes his coffee. He doesn’t stand until Carol starts gathering their things.

“Up!” Sophia demands. Carol turns to pick up her daughter only to find that Sophia isn’t asking her to carry her. Instead, her daughter has her arms extended towards Ezekiel, her tiger clutched in one of her hands. Sophia has never done this before with anyone else, never requested to be picked up by a man, and Carol isn’t quite sure how to react to the fact that she willingly does it with Ezekiel. 

After checking with her that it is okay for him to pick her up, Ezekiel cradles Sophia close to him and Sophia wraps her legs like a vine around his waist.

“There really is no inconvenience to your visits-”

“It’s really not your fault-”

Carol can’t help but blush as they both talk over each other, each attempting to assure the other that they are not to blame. With a chuckle, Ezekiel waits for her to repeat her words.

“It soothes my soul to know I haven’t done something for you to hate me.” He admits. “But it saddens me that Princess Sophia will not get to see Shiva’s progression.”

“Shiva!” Sophia choruses as she recognizes the name. She turns her head to look at her mother, lip instantly morphing into a pout she knew her mother couldn’t say no to. “Mama, please?” She asks hopefully.

There is something about the image of Ezekiel carrying Sophia that warms her heart. For a second her mind goes back to the daydream she’d had earlier on. Her heart skips a beat as she finally puts a face to the family she had envisioned; it was Ezekiel, Sophia and her.

“Please, Mama, please?” Sophia insists as she clutches her tiger to her chest. “Shiva? Yes?”

It takes her but a second to make up her mind, a second for her heart to open itself to the feeling of love that envelops her whenever she’s with the kind stranger. She still doesn’t understand it, still finds it curiously scary to feel this for a man she’s only seen twice before, especially when she knows she will never act on those feelings, not as long as she’s married to Ed. For the first time, she allows herself to feel it, to not question it.

“Lead the way, Princess... and King.” She finally answers, her mirth and love concealed behind her shades, for only her to know, just like the bruises on her skin.

~~~

Sophia and Shiva seem like they’ve been together all their lives.

After the initial introduction, and making sure that Shiva was perfectly all right with Sophia invading her space, Ezekiel has let them both wander around. Wherever Sophia goes, Shiva follows. The limp that the tiger cub had last time they visited seems to be healing properly and to not hurt as much. It certainly is not a deterrent for the cub to not chase Sophia around. It seems quite comical, and extremely cute, to see a tiny toddler jumping around, climbing and swinging and a tiny cub trailing behind her, trying to catch up and attempting to climb wherever Sophia went.

“She seems better,” Carol admits as she follows the playful pair with her eyes.

“She is.” Ezekiel agrees. “The vets have agreed on the fact that her bone has healed fully. She only needs rehabilitation, which she’s not particularly keen on.”

“Does it hurt her?” Carol asks as she turns to look at Ezekiel.

“If I were to guess based on what I see right now, I would deny it, but she’s not as chipper when I tried to get her to exercise.”

Carol let’s out a little smirk and sends him a raise of her eyebrow which barely clears the edge of her glasses. “Maybe all she needed was for Sophia to be here.”

“Perhaps.”

They fall silent again but Carol feels that Ezekiel wants to ask her something. It’s written all over his face and the way he keeps turning to look at her, opening his mouth then closing it only to turn away. He’s debating whether to ask her or not, probably wondering if the glimpse he got, if he had gotten any glimpse of the bruises at all, were real or a figment of lighting.

“I can hear you thinking all the way from over here.” She finally mumbles in a soft broken voice, her heart beating a mile a minute. She already has an idea what he’s going to ask, but it pains her that he’s even noticed the evidence of her husband’s fury. She’s hidden the pain and the bruises from everyone around her for years, the countless hospital visits disguised with clumsiness, the bruises painted over with makeup, yet suddenly she finds the words demanding to bubble out of her mouth, to share with him her biggest secret. 

What will he think of her? Will he think less of her? Will he agree with Ed? 

No, of course not, Ezekiel is nothing like Ed. 

“Why don’t you just ask?”

He doesn’t say a word, instead, he moves closer to her, coming to rest right beside her, both of their backs pressed against the wall. Their shoulders are touching and she can’t help but feel the warmth radiating from him. She wants to wrap herself in his arms and the knowledge that he would never hurt her. She barely knows him but her instinct is telling her she can trust him. Instead of reaching to take off her sunglasses, which cover the bruise she thought he’d seen, Ezekiel surprises her by taking her hand in his, their fingers interlocking immediately. He brings her hand to his lips and presses a kiss on her fingers before gently hiking up the light sweater she’s wearing in an attempt to cover the bruising on her arm.

Carol can not bear to look at him; to see the disgust at the purple hues that are already coloring her skin.

As soon as the bruises are exposed, Carol hears Ezekiel growl low in his throat, which seems to catch Shiva’s attention as she stops momentarily to look at them, ears up in alert. When she sees nothing amiss she returns to chasing Sophia. 

“Who did this?” She hears him ask in a very low voice as he tenderly traces the shadow of her husband’s hand where it had gripped her lower arm so painfully tight.

Carol doesn’t answer, remains quiet and almost frozen. She can see him out of the corner of her eye as he looks up at her, looking for an answer. She sees his face scrunching up in worry and his other hand approach. This time he removes the sunglasses, being extremely careful to not hurt her. He gasps as he sees the results of her husband’s rage. She knows what he is seeing; the swollen skin that makes her eye appear smaller, half-closed and which no doubt will be fully closed by the end of the day, the dark purple and black from where the blood pools under her skin, the red from the tiny veins that broke in her eye, and the small cut right where her cheekbone starts which she tried to patch up with butterfly stitches. It had all been neatly concealed under her huge shades but was now on full display.

“I will kill him.” Ezekiel decides.

“No! Don’t!” She declares loudly, too loudly, the sudden thought of this kind man disrupting his life for her too much to bear. She hears Sophia gasp in surprise and by the time she turns to look at her she finds her startled and frightened daughter with tears in her eyes and a petrified look on her face. “Oh no, no sweet pea. Mama is all right, we are safe here.”

She opens her arms to welcome Sophia who runs to her mother as fast as her toddler feet can carry her. Trailing behind her is Shiva, who looks very confused, hair standing on end. The moment Sophia slams into her, Carol gasps in pain, her ribs protesting. Ezekiel reacts to her distress and quickly places a hand on her shoulder, another on her knee, to stabilize her. Shiva, who has run behind Sophia as best as she can with her injured leg, molds herself to Carol, giving out a tiny version of a growl.

“We are safe.” She whispers to Sophia who has buried herself in her mother’s embrace. “Mama’s got you.”

“You have nothing to fear, Princess,” Ezekiel says, letting his hand hover over Sophia’s back though he refrains from touching her, worried he’ll only make it worse. “You are safe.” He echos Carol’s words, this time looking into Carol’s eyes. “Neither Shiva nor I will allow danger to befall on either of you while we are at your side. Believe me.”

Sophia doesn’t relax and it breaks Carol’s heart to feel her daughter so stiff against her, but she does quiet down, her sobbing slowly turning into hiccups which would otherwise have been extremely cute. Carol places a kiss on her daughter’s forehead before rearranging her so that she is not pressing against her tender ribs. She didn’t even realize she’s crying until Ezekiel gently cups her cheek, his thumb smoothing over her skin to brush away her tears. “Please forgive me. I didn’t mean to scare her.”

“You didn’t, not really. She reacted to my shouting, I shouldn’t have spoken so loudly. She’s usually very fearful after.... after it...” Carol tried to explain. “She’s just... she saw it happen.”

“Was it your husband?”

The words that had fought their way up her throat and that had been ready to jump and expose her darkest secret, seem to muddle into a tight ball within her throat. Her mouth grows dry and as much as she tries to swallow, her saliva seems to be stuck with nowhere to go, making her almost choke.

“Carol... was it your husband?” Ezekiel repeats.

She closes her eyes tightly, wincing as her muscles protest. Why is it so hard to simply tell him? Why is it so physically impossible for her to say the words? She leans against his hand, her nose nudging his palm as a fresh batch of tears leaves her eyes.

Before he can ask yet again, Carol finally lets go of the fear that has been systematically instilled in her, of the defeat that has built for years, of the abused and battered soul inside of her.

After years of horrid marriage and abuse, Carol finally reveals the truth.

She nods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think? Should I continue?


	5. Shelter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol’s backstory is explored in this chapter, ending with an offer from ezekiel that carol cannot refuse.
> 
> (WARNING: although not graphic there is talk about domestic and mental abuse).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer:
> 
> Carol Peletier, Sophia Peletier, King Ezekiel, Henry, Jerry, Shiva, and any other recognizable character or plot of The Walking Dead belong to AMC Network and Skybound Entertainment, Image Comics and Robert Kirkman.
> 
> In no way is the author claiming ownage of any of the characters nor is there any economical/monetary gain at any time. The author is extremely respectful of the original creators and is willing to take down this work of fiction if requested.
> 
> No copyright infringement intended.
> 
> Original characters are property of the author.

If anyone walks in looking for Shiva they’ll find her in the middle of nothing short of a pile of humans and tigers, both the living and the plush kind.

Carol had completely broken down, burying her face in her daughter’s body, silent tears morphing into sobs she couldn’t seem to control. Sophia held onto her, crying as well from both the remains of her fear of loud voices and the mere fact that her mother was crying. Shiva had curled at Carol’s feet, her face resting on Carol’s legs as she kept close watch. From there, and purely on instinct, Ezekiel had embraced all of them, pulling both mother and child against him. Eventually, Carol’s sobs had subsided to occasional hiccups which were pressed against Ezekiel’s uniform and Sophia had ended up resting her head and back against Ezekiel’s chest, her tiger plush all but forgotten as Shiva had made her way to the little girl's lap.

They haven’t moved since then.

Neither adult has talked.

“It’s otay, Mama.” Sophia says softly, her hand raising to gently caress her mother’s cheek as if giving permission to Carol to finally spill everything.

“You can talk to me, Carol.” Ezekiel’s grave voice tells her. She doesn’t even look up at him to know that he’s willing to listen to everything she’s got to say, everything she’s suffered thru. “No matter what you say, you are safe here, always will be.”

There is no doubt in her mind that with Ezekiel she and her daughter are safe. Many times she has tried to tell everything to someone, to anyone who would dare listen, but something has always held her back, tying the words into a knot inside of her throat, making her heartbeat so wildly she has feared she’ll have a heart attack. Somehow with Ezekiel none of that happens; there is no knot in her throat and though her heart beats fast it doesn’t bring the beginnings of a panic attack. She buries her face against his chest once more, taking comfort in his scent, before taking in a deep breath.

“I used to be a ballet dancer. I was on my way to being a Prima Ballerina, had made a name for myself, which made other dancers from the company dislike me.” She finally whispers. “I met Ed during a tour, he waited at the dancer’s exit after the show and told me how much he had enjoyed my performance. He asked me out on a date right there and then and I... I should have said no, but I was lonely and tired and not listening to my brain.”

That was the easy part of the story, the foundation to the years of abuse she had suffered, and yet the hardest to explain. How could she help Ezekiel see how naive and young she had been, how much she had craved love and attention back then? She had been a good dancer, but a dancer that knew that once she reached a certain age she would have nothing else to show but bad feet, memories and a name which would be erased by the next Prima Ballerina. She was terrified of ending alone, of having no one to love. Suddenly Ed had been there and despite there being red flags, Carol had wanted to see the beauty and live the fairytale her mind had conjured up.

“He was charming and caring and seemed to like me. I was homesick and he listened to everything I said, even to the dancing bits... he seemed interested in me and not the dancer. By the end of the night, he was holding my hand and asking when he could see me again.”

“He enthralled you.” Ezekiel’s words were not in an accusing tone but they drove a dagger through her heart. “He saw your loneliness and latched on to it.”

“He was there every night. We were staying at a big city, tickets were supposed to have been sold out, but he was waiting for me at the dancer’s door after every performance. By the time we moved to a different city I was in love with him, or at least I thought I was.”

She pulls back from his embrace, sighing as she rests back against the wall. Her hands raise to quickly wipe away her tears, wincing when she brushes over her swollen eye. She tries to breathe through her nose but finds it clogged, the tip of her nose bright red. She takes a moment to watch Sophia rest comfortably in Ezekiel’s arms, her eyes growing heavy.

“We spoke on the phone every night after we moved. I stopped focusing on dancing and started channeling all my energy on him. On our way back home we had a one-night engagement in a nearby city and suddenly he was there, he told me he missed me, begged me to stay with him. I was so stupid.”

“No, you were in love.” Ezekiel defends her. “You were tenderfoot and in love.”

“And stupid... he asked me to marry him, right there and then, and I said yes, I didn’t even think about it.” She turns away from him then, raising a hand to gently brush away another tear from her bad eye, her fingers taking the time to press against the swelling skin, trying to judge how bad it is. Her eye is almost closed now and from what she feels she can only guess it looks terrible.

“I went back home, told my parents I was getting married, quit my job at the company, and moved to Georgia with him. Everything was great the first couple of months after we got married and when I fell pregnant he seemed to be ecstatic, but I had complications on the fourth month and the baby...” Even now her breath gets caught in her throat at the memory of the child she lost. Her heart aches like it ached the day she woke up to find her thighs drenched in blood. “That’s when it started. He started yelling and throwing things. It happened so fast, the change, that I was blown away and blind sighted. I didn’t know what to do, how to react. My parents had been so mad at me for quitting my career that they had stopped talking to me so I couldn’t even reach out to them. The shouting quickly escalated to hitting, always were it could be covered, always without an explanation. Every little thing I did threw him off. I was a bad wife, a bad woman, a bad mother and... as it turns out I was a bad dancer, or so he thought. Turns out it had all been a dare from his friend; to get one of the dancers to fall for him. When he’d accomplished that, he had been further dared to propose, then to get married. He... he never loved me and now he was stuck with me so he decided he was going to get his money’s worth for all he had ever spend on the dare.”

“Please tell me he didn’t...” Ezekiel interrupts her but doesn’t dare say the word ‘rape’ in the hopes that it hasn’t happened.

“I am his wife, I have to do as he pleases.” It’s her way of answering his question without saying the words, without confirming his suspicion. “The beatings continued every week then every day. I had to visit a different clinic every time until there weren’t any left. Then I simply learned how to patch myself up. I wanted to leave, I prayed for the strength to leave him, but I was so dependent on him that I simply couldn’t. I had no one to turn to, no one that would care. Then I fell pregnant again, the beatings stopped until we found out the baby was a girl; Sophia. He wanted a boy, he told me I couldn’t do anything right, so he beat me so I would learn.”

“Sophia a girl.” Sophia’s soft sleepy voice and the sigh that follows brakes Carol’s heart even further. Her daughter knows why her father dislikes her so much; because she is a girl. There is nothing Sophia can do to change that even if she wants.

“The most beautiful girl,” Carol assures her, gently caressing her daughter’s cheek. It brought out a small smile from Sophia which quickly turns into a grin with Ezekiel’s words.

“The most beauteous Princess in the land.” He adds, his eyes landing on her daughter who gives a little smile before her eyes grow heavy once again and she cuddles down on his arm with her back towards it and her face pillowed against his chest.

“I almost lost her.” Her heart races and her stomach drops as she remembers the night he pushed her down the stairs. It had triggered her labor at eight months, prompting her to drag herself from the bottom of the stairs as soon as she regained consciousness and drive herself to the hospital. “I almost left him then. I had made up my mind; as soon as my baby was healthy I would leave him, find a woman shelter and just disappear. He wouldn’t be able to find us. I actually did it, but I was wrong. He found us.”

“How did he find you?”

“I don’t know,” she admits. “One night I woke up because Sophia hadn’t cried for food and I found him holding her, feeding her. He told me that I had two options; I could go with him and play happy families whenever he damned pleased or he could bring up child kidnapping charges on me, kill Sophia and once they found out my daughter was dead I would spend the rest of my life in prison. I had to leave with him, I didn’t care about the prison but I couldn’t let him hurt Sophia.”

“You did the correct thing, Carol,” Ezekiel whispers to her. Carol turns to look at him, more tears falling down her face which he gently wipes with the back of his fingers. “You had to protect Sophia, that was all that mattered.”

Her chin starts quivering again and before she knows it she has pressed herself against Ezekiel’s strong frame once more. “He never touched her, I swear. I would always stop him before he could get to her.”

“Divert his attention to you,” Ezekiel whispers against her curls. “Tell me, trust me; what has he done?”

Carol pauses, not knowing if she can tell him. She knows Ezekiel feels the same attraction she feels for him, but he doesn’t know the extent of Ed’s cruelty, he doesn’t know her body carries the evidence of his anger. Part of her is worried that if he finds out he will be disgusted, just like she is every time she sees herself in a mirror. The other part, the part that reaches out to him subconsciously, trust him enough to not hurt her that way. It is that part that prompts her to tell him.  
“There’s been slapping and punching, that’s when he’s in a ‘good’ mood. He’s... he’s put out cigarettes on me, he’s used knives to carve... words on... me. He’s broken my arms more times than I can count, my fingers. He... made sure I would never dance ballet again by breaking my feet and legs. He punched my jaw out of its socket, broke my ribs, there’s been more bruising than I care to count, swollen eyes, busted lips. This...” she says as she motions to her eye and arm. “This is nothing.”

Ezekiel remains quiet for a long time after. Carol bites her lip as her mind tells her, in Ed’s horrifying voice, that he’s disgusted with her now, that he can’t wait to have her as far away from him as possible, she’s about to pull away when she suddenly feels a drop of liquid fall on her forehead. She quickly looks up and gasps when she finds Ezekiel crying. Why is he crying?

“I’m so sorry.” He whispers. “So sorry you and Sophia have had to go through this. You don’t deserve this, neither of you do. I could go right now and show him what we do with men like him, kick his ass and let him crawl to the hospital.”

It’s the first time she’s heard him talk like a normal human being, without the adornment that his words usually contain. She likes it, as much as she likes his flair. Even Sophia has noticed a change for she turns to look at him with half concern that something is terribly wrong and half-amused tinged with deep sleep to hear him talk so differently. She’ll have to ask him why he fakes his way of speaking on a later day.

“He’s not worth it.”

“He isn’t, but you are,” Ezekiel whispers and it takes all her strength to not kiss him. “You are worth defending, you are worth loving, Carol.”

“I’m not.” She corrects him automatically. “But thank you for saying it.”

“You are.” He repeats. He tilts his head back prompting her to tilt her own. Ezekiel looks deep into her eyes. She can’t help but see the love that shines in his, a love so young and tender yet so strong. “You are, Carol.” He leans forward and presses a kiss on her forehead, a couple more tears falling against her forehead. She leans forward once he pulls away, her skin searching for the gentle touch of his lips.

“Thank you.” She mumbles.

In silence, she watches as Sophia’s eyes close completely, her breathing evening out as she completely relaxes against Ezekiel. If she ever doubts Ezekiel it will take this image of Sophia trusting him so completely to remind her that he is their safe haven.

“You should leave him.” He concludes.

“I can’t.”

“Yes, you can, Carol.”

“No... I... I can’t Ezekiel. I have tried and he always finds us. Back in Georgia, he knows everyone. He’s a well-respected man in our community, they will either send us right back or tell him where we are.” Carol explains panicked. She has tried, God knows she has tried twice since the time at the hospital, even with the thread of him reporting her as a kidnapper, but he always blocks their escape or finds them and it always ends with her daughter’s traumatized crying and her black and blue. “He always finds us.”

Besides her Shiva instantly raises, her ears pulled back, slightly twisted. Her head bowed low, eyes trained on Carol. She knows she’s feeling protective of Ezekiel and Sophia, doesn’t like the sudden jump in her breathing or the thunder of her heart or the way her voice has bucked up with fear. If Shiva had been a bigger tiger, Carol would have been terrified, but with her tiny stature, she can’t help but feel endeared to her. Ezekiel is quick to make the chuffing sound, his hand reaching to gently caress Shiva and tell her they are not in danger.

“But you aren’t in Georgia. He has no knowledge of this land, does he?” Ezekiel replies once he has calmed Shiva, looking at Carol with a calming gaze, no doubt trying to calm the sudden urgency she has been washed over with. He remains calm for her, for her daughter, calm enough that Sophia doesn’t even wake, her little snores soft and repetitive.

“I... I don’t think so.” Carol stammers. “He’s never been here since he met me. He’s only here because he’s looking for a raise. If... if he gets it he will bring us over to live here permanently.”

“Then you can leave him.” He repeats. “I can provide aid if you allow me the leave to do so. You can hide at my dwelling or I can take you to a woman shelter. You’d be safeguarded in either location.”

For a second she allows the thought to circle her mind, the hope of finally being free from Ed warming her, but she quickly shakes it out of her head. “I can’t run the risk. If he finds me he will kill me and hurt Sophia.”

“He will have to strike me down,” Ezekiel promises her with a firm voice that leaves no doubt in her mind that he would lay down his life for her daughter and for her.

“Why?” Carol asks softly, her brow furrowing with confusion as to why he feels so strongly for her and for Sophia. “Why do you say that? Why do you want to help me and Sophia? Why do you offer your home when I’m telling you I would be hunted down by him? You could be in danger!”

“Because...” His explanation is not enough so she presses on.

“But why? I can’t offer you anything Ezekiel! Why do you want to help me?”

“Because I love you.” He blurts out. It shocks Carol to hear him say those words, and it obviously shocks him from the look on his face. She knows that he is sweet on her but she had no idea his feelings ran as deep as love, especially because they barely knew each other.

“I shouldn’t have said that.” He mumbles as he shakes his head, the hand that had been gently removing the tears from her cheeks now raises to pinch the bridge of his nose. “I wasn’t planning to confess in this manner, especially after I just promised I’d take whatever you offered.”

“Ezekiel...”

“Fear not, I don’t want wish for you to feel pressured.”

“Ezekiel....”

“But you must know someone cares and wants you safe...”

Instead of interrupting him, Carol places a hand on his cheek. Her touch is soft, or at least she hopes it is. It seems to stop him, to calm him, he even presses his cheek against her skin before placing a soft kiss on the palm of her hand. “I’m sorry.” He whispers.

Carol takes a peek at her daughter who is still sound asleep before looking up at Ezekiel. “Don’t be. I... I don’t know if what I feel is love, I truly don’t. It’s powerful though and so very different to what I felt with Ed.” There is a glimmer of hope in Ezekiel’s eyes and she finds herself smiling at it. “Don’t be sorry unless you didn’t mean it.”

“I mean it.” He quickly assures her. “My love for you is pure and strong, as real as you and I, as Shiva and Sophia.”

Carol pauses for a second. Should she take him on his offer of hospice at his home? She hardly knows him but one thing she does know and that is that he has a kind soul. He has shown her this time and time again with each of their visits. She trusts him with Sophia’s well-being and that’s saying a lot.

“You really would help us?”

“With no hesitation.”

She bites her lip, her eyes slipping closed. Back in Atlanta, they have no allies and as she had said, Ed knew everyone. Here they at least had someone who is willing to help them escape the hell they lived in.

“I don’t expect anything from you if you accept my aid.” Ezekiel finally tells her, perhaps thinking that she was worried he’d want something from her. “You have my word, I would rather lose my honor than push you into something you do not desire.”

She gives a tiny nod before sending another look towards Sophia. She is still sleeping but the memory of her little face full of tears, of the fear that shone in her eyes, was enough to help her make a final decision.

“I can deliver you to a woman shelter.”

“No,” Carol says with a decisive tone of voice.

“Carol you must flee while you can. He will kill you if you don’t.”

“No, don’t take us to a women’s shelter. I don’t want Sophia to go through the whole process again.” She elaborates, her hand seeking his, their fingers intertwining without hesitation. “If the offer still stands, could we go to your home?”

Ezekiel nods right away. “My home shall be your shelter.”


	6. The start of a new life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Ezekiel's help, Carol and Sophia start their new life away from Ezekiel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer:
> 
> Carol Peletier, Sophia Peletier, King Ezekiel, Henry, Jerry, Shiva, and any other recognizable character or plot of The Walking Dead belong to AMC Network and Skybound Entertainment, Image Comics and Robert Kirkman.
> 
> In no way is the author claiming ownage of any of the characters nor is there any economical/monetary gain at any time. The author is extremely respectful of the original creators and is willing to take down this work of fiction if requested.
> 
> No copyright infringement intended.
> 
> Original characters are property of the author.

“There’s something I must confess.” 

Carol’s heart drops as she hears the words come out of Ezekiels mouth. She has taken this leap of faith, the risk of losing everything with the hope that things would turn out in her daughter’s favor, but it hasn’t even been half an hour and the shoe has already dropped. She can’t help but think that he already regrets offering his home, that he’s realized how much Sophia would need, how much they’d depend on him for the first few weeks, perhaps months and wants nothing to do with them. She feels desperation climb over her, overpower her, threaten to cut out her air supply. There is ringing in her ears that she can’t seem to shake despite shaking her head. She now has to face the fact she’ll have to go back to Ed’s apartment and face his wrath for the rest of her life.

“Carol, are you feeling unwell?” His hand cups her right elbow, jolting her out of the storm that has been created in her mind. “You look pale.”

“You don’t have to explain.” She says under her breath, her eyes trained on Sophia who is coming out of sleep, giving little grunts and sucking her own tongue as she has done from the time she’s been a newborn until this very moment. Soon she’ll have her eyes open, rubbing at her face and yawning. “Sophia and I will go back home, we’ll visit... if that’s still okay with you?”

“Visit?” Ezekiel’s voice shows his confusion. It is only then that Carol turns to look at him. His face mirrors what his voice has told her; he is confused and not following her train of thought. It doesn’t surprise her, she can barely keep track of where her mind goes when panic sets in, how can she expect Ezekiel to know what she’s thinking when he’s not inside her head? 

“Here at the zoo? If you don’t want Sophia and I to continue dropping by we can stop, I’ll explain it to Sophia, she will understand.”

“Wait Carol, I’m befuddled.” He raises a hand to stop her from speaking once more. “Why are you raising the question about perusing the zoo and me not desiring your visits. Have you changed your mind about leaving Ed?”

“No.” She answers quickly, her mind still steadfast in the decision she’s made. One way or the other, now or further down the line, she will leave Ed. “I still want to leave him. I understand, though, taking us in is a huge hassle, you don’t have to explain.”

“It is not a hassle and even if it was I would welcome it wholeheartedly.” He assures her. Tenderly his fingers caress her chin as he tilts her head toward him, giving enough pressure for her to know that he wants to look at her without forcing her to keep the gaze. “But we seem to have misunderstood each other.”

Carol blinks confused. Had he not been talking about his offer?

"Then... what did you mean?" She can feel the heat creep up to her cheeks as she realizes that she jumped to a horrible confusion.

Ezekiel's confused face softens as his lips slowly rise into a smile. "Before I had the pleasure of making your and Princess Sophia's acquaintances, I had started the paperwork to house raise Shiva since she has not been welcomed back into her ambush. It was tentatively approved depending on whether she would be able to fully heal but now that the only thing we have to overcome is a limp, it seems she will be joining us at home."

"Oh." Her face is now fully burning. She can't help but raise a hand to her cheek, the one that is not hurt, to feel just how hot it is. She must be blushing bright red. 

"Shiva would have full reign of my home, she won't be kept caged and I will be in charge of teaching her everything she needs to know to survive into adulthood with with the zoo." He continues, giving her a wink to note her blushing. "If... if that is not something you are comfortable with, having Sophia interact with her on a daily basis, then I understand and I can annul the home raising."

"No, no, no." Carol quickly stammers out, her hand reaching over to press against his chest. "I can't ask you to do that. You must have been planning for this. I can't ask you to just turn your life upside down for us."

"You wouldn't have to request it." Ezekiel assures her, pressing the hand he has free from holding a sleeping Sophia over her own, securing it against his chest. "I would happily do it."

She blushes yet again but doesn't pull her hand away. His touch calms her, centers her. In a moment where she is literally turning her life, and her daughter's life, upside down, his reassuring touch is the only thing that is keeping her sane.

"Thank you." Carol can't help but let out a soft giggle as she turns to look at her daughter. Ezekiel is worried that she will want to keep her daughter as far away as possible from Shiva once the tiger cub is away from the zoo, away from where she knows she must behave. . He's worried about her daughter's safety as much as she worries about Sophia. It truly warms her heart that he has her daughter's safety on the foreground of his mind but what he doesn't know is how much her daughter loves Shiva, how much she talks about her whenever Ed is not around, and how much she wishes she could stay with her around the clock at the zoo. Shiva has never showed any aggression towards Sophia, on the contrary, she has showed nothing but love and the natural need to protect the young child. "I don't mind Shiva being in your home and I know for a fact that Sophia will not mind either. In fact, at the rate they are going, we might have a hard time keeping them apart."

Ezekiel's expression turns into that of happiness which floors Carol. He truly was going to pass the chance to be the one to help Shiva grow if it meant that she didn't want the tiger near Sophia twenty-four hours of the day. "It is settled then. Shiva is scheduled to be transported to my home at the end of the week. By then you and Sophia will have settled. Is there anything you need to retrieve from Ed's?"

She takes a moment to think. Ed had never been someone to splurge on his daughter or wife, so they had very little things to their names. Sophia had a total of three changes of clothes, one of which was a frilly dress that was to be worn whenever they had company over and which her daughter absolutely hated. She didn't fare better, having only two sets of clothes to switch around with the one she was currently wearing. She had no jewelry except for the small cross around her neck which had been a parting gift from her best friend before her wedding and her wedding ring, the shackle of her soul. She had no money and Sophia's only coveted doll had been lost and replaced by the stuffed tiger currently discarded on the floor in front of them. There really was nothing at the apartment that she could want, even Sophia's newborn pictures were in Atlanta.

"No." She finally admits, her voice strong as she directs her eyes to the gold ring on her finger . "And even if I did I would leave it behind. I want nothing of his." 

She hesitates for a second, not because she doesn't want to discard it, but because she's worn it for so long it is almost part of who she is. Eventually she reaches for the ring and twists it around until it finally slips free from her finger. Even in her wedding ring, a size too small, Ed had showed his cruel nature, making her wear it and never getting it resized. She lets out a sigh of relief, almost as if her soul was liberated with the slipping off the cold metal.

"I can dispose of it for you." Ezekiel offers, extending his hand, palm up, to receive the ring. There is absolutely no hesitation in her movements as she places it on his hand. "Here, I'll take it outside to be disposed of. Hold our Princess."

With Sophia in her arms, Carol watches as he leaves the room. Shiva perks up from besides her and follows him through the glass with her eyes. "He's coming right back, Shiva." She assures the tiger cub, whose ears wiggle before settling on the floor in front of her once more.

Sophia stirs in her arms, this time with a little bit of waking intention, her eyes fluttering open and her mouth opening and closing before shutting her eyes again. She wiggles in Carol's arms, giving a grunt at the thought of fully waking. "Hello there." Carol greets her, a gentle finger tracing her daughter's chubby cheek. "Did you have a good nap, sweet pea?"

Sophia nods, humming softly to herself. She knows her daughter is not quite ready to wake up, so she talks to her in a soft voice. "Soph... I have something very important to tell you." Sophia's eyes finally slip open, their hazel color sparkling with the light coming from above her. "Do you want to hear what it is?"

Again Sophia nods but offers nothing more than her eyes trained on her mother. She must not remember where they are because otherwise she would have bolted towards Shiva, ready to keep on playing. Instead, a hand raises and her little fist rubs her eyes. "Do you want to know where we will go after the zoo?" She asks.

Sophia's whole body stiffens at the thought of leaving the zoo and Carol doesn't blame her for the reaction although she is not sure if its because they will leave her beloved Tiggy behind or because she knows that the only place they could go to is back to the nightmare they had just escaped from. "No, Mama." She declares, her voice still laced with sleep. "Stay." She begs her then repeats herself as Ezekiel once more comes into the enclosure. "Stay?" She asks him.

“We can’t stay here.” Ezekiel admits to her, thinking the little girl wants to stay at the zoo to sleep.

Sophia pouts as she turns to look to her mother. Her eyes instantly glimmer with tears. She blinks and lets out big fat tears which slide down the sides of her face. “No crying, my little love.” Carol whispers to her daughter. She leans down to press a kiss to her daughter’s cheeks, her nose wet from where it rubs against her daughter’s tears. Just as she feels Sophia’s tiny arms circle her neck she starts to explain what will be happening. “We are not going back.” She promises. 

“No?” Sophia asks. When Carol pulls back she sees the confusion in her daughter’s eyes, but she also sees a spark of hope. She can’t help but feel like the worst mother on Earth for not taking Sophia away from danger before this.

“No.” She states with a smile which only makes her daughter’s own lips pull into a smile. “What do you think about spending some time with Ezekiel?”

Sophia cocks her head to the side, her eyes already sparkling with mischief as she considers her mother's words. “Tiggy?” She asks tentatively.

“Well, at first it will only be Ezekiel and us. He’s letting us stay with him for some time while Mama takes care of some things.” Carol explains. “But then Shiva will join us. Would you like that?”

Sophia nods eagerly, her head turning to the side when she catches a glimpse of Shiva’s antics. The tiger cub has found her tail and is currently trying to snatch it. A wave of giggles erupts from Sophia as she watches Shiva do something of a forward cartwheel in her attempt to catch the offending tail. “Silly.”

“She is silly, isn’t she?” Ezekiel asks as he bends down to shuffle Sophia’s hair. “She’s very young, like yourself, and we have to teach her a mirad of things.”

“Me too?” Carol isn’t sure whether Sophia is asking if she too has to learn things or if she’s gonna be aiding in teaching Shiva. 

“You will also learn, that’s right. Maybe you and Shiva can learn things together. Would you prefer that?”

Sophia grunts with effort as she moves to sit on her mother’s lap. She doesn’t stay there long and soon moves to a standing position before walking close to Ezekiel. As if she’s done it all her life, Sophia leans against him, her arms going around his neck. “I help!” She declares.

“It’s settled then!” 

 

——

 

They spend all day at the zoo.

Having spent most of the morning in Shiva’s enclosure, Carol had to convince Sophia to actually see other exhibitions. They visited the rest of the tigers, then the lions and finally the elephants before Sophia declares she wanted to go back to Shiva.

By the time they made it back, Ezekiel was finishing his shift and was waiting on the next Keeper to come relieve him from his post. Afterwards, Ezekiel guided them through the back lots of the zoo and out to the worker’s parking area. With each step she took, Carol felt more and more that her decision had been the correct one. It would take some getting used to not having Ed hover over them, shadowing them in fear, that she would have to find her bearings and a job, no doubt eventually rent a place, but she was confident that she’d be able to do it. She had to; she had little Sophia to take care of.

“I don’t posses a car seat.” He admits. Carol doesn’t expect him to and quickly adds it to the mental list of things she will have to get once she finds a job. “We'll detour to a store, obtain a car seat and essentials.”

“I can’t.” Carol reminds him, feeling her cheeks flame once more. She knows it’s not her fault, but the shame of not having money washes over once again. 

“You mustn't fear.” He begs her. “I’m not a King, I’m not rich, but we can afford some things.”

With his help, she climbs into the back of his yellow and white Cherokee van then holds Sophia in her arms. She would have insisted on going in the front but she knows he chose the back as an added protection for her daughter. Once he climbs into the car and starts it they are off.

“I have a friend.” He says once they leave the zoo’s property. “She’s a great lawyer. I can mention you to her. She might help you start legal proceedings against Ed; child custody, a restraining order, divorce.”

“I...”. Before she could answer to remind him, once more that she doesn’t have means to pay the lawyer, he shakes his head and sends her a look through the rear view mirror. 

“I know Carol. Please do not feel like you must suddenly be completely self-sufficient. I don’t expect it and neither should you. My friend, Michonne, she will help pro-bono. Just last week she was telling me how she still owed pro-bono hours and this fits perfectly." She doesn’t know how he can read her mind, but she finds herself thankful that he is voicing this instead of letting her go through shame after shame of not being able to afford things. “I'm not affronted in helping you and Sophia gather your bearings; do not feel shy on requesting things you need. Really, whatever it is.”

“I will pay you back.” She insists even as he shakes his head. 

“I am not requesting you too.” Ezekiel insists.

“I know.” She gives him a shy little smile, a hand raising to brush away the tears of relief that sneak up on her. “But I will. I’ll find a job and start helping and paying you back.”

Ezekiel’s eyes lock with her own through the mirror. They are full of mirth, full of assurance, and the knowledge that he probably won’t take the money somehow calms her even further.

They stop at a store and after settling Sophia in the shopping cart, they are off. Ezekiel first guides them towards the children section and by the intent in his step she knows that he’s ready to pamper Sophia. At first, Sophia remains playing calmly with her stuffed tiger, singing to herself, completely uninterested. She has learned that shopping trips always involve things her father needs and wants and rarely means anything to her. As soon as Ezekiel produces a soft pajama set with tiny tigers all over the pajama bottoms and a sleepy tiger on the chest of the top and asks her if she likes it, Sophia squeals with delight and after a quick check with her mother, declares “Mine!”

Carol laughs at her daughter’s reaction, having never seen her as eager to own pajamas as she does at the moment. The pajamas are soon followed by another set of jammers, a couple of stretchy pants and solid color blouses, underpants, socks, and two pairs of shoes; some tennis shoes and a pair of shinny black flats Sophia absolutely loves and refuses to take off. 

“We still have to pay for them.” Carol reminds her as Sophia attempts to tug at the tags. 

“Pwease.” Sophia begs with a final tug at the tag which refuses to come off, before giving her mother a full on grin, showing off her pearly baby teeth.

Carol can’t refuse her daughter and allows her to keep the shoes on after reminding her that she has to keep the tags on. For a second she feels like throwing out her daughter’s ratty sneakers but she ends up putting them in the cart, her mind telling her ‘just in case this is all a dream’. 

She has just finished hiding the sneakers when Ezekiel comes out of the corner with a second cart, a child seat box inside of it. “What that?” Sophia asks as she twists her body to see as much of the box as she can.

“A child booster seat.” Ezekiel replies. “I had difficulty narrowing down which one to get but this one says it’s passed all of the safety checks and it’s for kids of her age and weight.”

“We don’t have to get that one." Carol says, shaking her head. “Don’t they have some that are just a seat? You can secure it with the seatbelt.”

“No,” Ezekiel disagrees. “We are not getting her those. It is unsafe and offers no protection.”

She can’t help but raise an eyebrow, a smirk appearing in her face even as she tries to suppress it. “Really? Since when did you become such a child seat connoisseur.”

Ezekiel winks at her and gives her a tiny shrug. “Did you find everything we need for the princess.”

“Most things... just need a bottle and some diapers.”

After gathering everything they need for Sophia, which is probably more than Sophia has ever owned, Ezekiel guides them towards the women section. Instantly she feels the need to tell him that she doesn’t need anything at all, but before she can say anything he is already asking Sophia what her mama needs.

“Tiggy jammies.” Sophia answers eagerly. Carol is very sure that they won’t be finding tiger pajamas in her size but still Ezekiel’s and Sophia go on an adventure trying to find them while Ezekiel leaves her with the instruction for take the other cart and fill it with whatever she needs.

For a couple of minutes after she’s left to her own devices, Carol simply stands by the cart, unsure of where to start. It’s been such a long time since she’s shopped for herself she’s just not sure what she even likes anymore. Taking the cart she walks through the aisles, her fingers smoothing over the different textures, picking up something, checking the tag then putting it back on the rack. She fully plans to pay back Ezekiel, but she still chooses the bare minimum and from there she chooses the least expensive items. Most of what she ends up putting in the cart is from the clearance rack but once she is satisfied she goes in search of two very loud adventurers.

“We didn’t find tiger pajamas,” Ezekiel informs her but quickly holds up what looks like a soft set of red pajamas. They look so comfy, so warm, and something she would have loved to wear long ago when she had been a naive girl. 

“Those are expensive.”

Ezekiel doesn’t say a thing for a couple of seconds, his eyes taking in the details of her face. She knows he is studying her which only brings of rosy tinge to her cheeks and makes her look down, her fingers touching the soft material of the pajama bottoms. 

“My house tends to retain a chill.” He finally offers her a reason to take them. “It’s not isolated in the woods, but it’s in the outskirts of the city and while a fire is kept to guard off the worst of the chill I am afraid you would be uncomfortable, even in the summer. These will keep you warm.”

“I suppose you won’t take no for an answer.”

“I shan’t.”

“Fine.” She agrees with a roll of her eyes. “We’ll take them.”

"Then we'll add a woolly warm socks as well."

She opens her mouth to protest but quickly closes it knowing that there is just no reason why she should protest buying socks. Instead she follows her daughter and the man that is slowly winning her heart and chooses more than a couple of warm socks for herself and for Sophia. 

If she had thought that clothes had caught Sophia's attention, she had been sorely wrong. With the promise that she could choose whichever toy she wanted, Sophia peruses the toy aisles, steps careful, eyes wide open, arms held tightly against her as she presses her tiger plush to her chest. Ed had never told her she could chose whatever she wanted. In the off chances that he gave them enough money to buy Sophia something, it had always been from the dollar section or clearance toys. 

Stopping in the middle of an aisle full of dollies, Sophia holds her tiger even tighter to her chest with one hand as the other raises, thumb ready for suckling. Carol moves to her side, pulling her thumb from its destination. "What's wrong sweet pea?" She asks her.

Sophia gives a look around the aisle once more before turning to look at her mother. "Many babies." She declares.

Carol sighs sadly. Her daughter had never had the chance to chose her own toys and now that she had the opportunity she was overwhelmed. She didn't know which dolly to choose. "There are many." Carol says as she silently promises Sophia that she'll never have to settle for second hand toys or the clearance selection. "Do you want one like the one you used to have? Made out of cloth?"

Sophia instantly tightens her arm around her tiger. "No change." She begs her mother, her eyes wide, her mouth turning into a pout as her thumb once again starts making its way up towards her mouth. "My tiggy."

"Yes, that is your tiger." Carol promises. It takes her a couple of seconds to understand that Sophia doesn't want to chose a dolly made of cloth because she thinks she'll have to return her precious tiger plush. Her daughter hasn't quite understood that she is not exchanging a toy for the other, but choosing a second toy to take home. 

By the time she has made the connection, Ezekiel has knelt besides Sophia, placing a hand on Sophia's back. "You are correct, that is your faithful companion, your tiggy." He speaks to her in the softest voice Carol has ever heard. A warm feeling spreads through her chest as she watches her daughter interact with the much bigger man. Sophia isn't shying away from his presence, which Carol expects to happen from what her daughter had experienced with Ed. Instead she is listening carefully to what Ezekiel is saying, nodding along in agreement. "No one shall ever take him from you, not without a fight from your Mama and I."

"Pwomise?" Sophia asks, her eyes narrowing as she maintains eye contact with Ezekiel. 

"I promise." He says as he mimics a cross over his chest. "I shall personally battle for the safety of your tiggy."

Sophia lets out a tiny and soft giggle, so soft that Carol barely hears it over her daughter's hand which has raised to press against her tiny mouth. She almost looks like a shy miniature version of her mother. "Otay." Sophia declares.

"But now you get to choose another toy. A second toy. You keep your tiggy and you can choose a dolly."

"Otay." Sophia repeats before taking a step forward towards the boxes with the dollies. As if on an afterthought she turns once more to look at Ezekiel. "Otay, two?" she asks, needing to confirm that she had understood him.

"Yes, you get to keep both of them. Want to choose a dolly?" When Sophia gives him a nod he motions for the boxes and that is all the confirmation that her daughter needs before she starts looking at all the details the dolls offer.

Carol eventually has to turn around to discretely brush off her tears. She had always made sure that Sophia had the bare necessities, at times even going without herself so that her daughter wouldn't suffer, but she can see now that there has been so much that her daughter has missed because she had been unable to leave her husband. As if the beatings and the pain hadn't been enough, which they had, realizing what her daughter had missed prompts Carol to promise herself that she will never go back to Ed, never let herself be caught in a relationship like the one she had with her hopefully soon to be ex-husband. Never again.

"We have executed the dolly mission!" She hears Ezekiel declare from behind her.

She is surprised to find how much they've piled on the cart in the small amount of time she had been looking away; there are dolly nappies, clothes, a bed and a stroller, all ready to be purchased. 

"Lookie Mama!" Sophia's voice is a little strained so Carol quickly turns to look at her. She's carrying a box almost as big as herself in which a baby dolly was nestled, surrounded by tiny toys and a certificate of birth. The dolly is beautiful; with its dark curls and chocolate skin, very much like Ezekiel's. "My Dolly!"

"She desired that one, I swear I didn't make her chose it."

"My dolly!" Sophia repeated to assure her mother she had chosen the skin color of her doll. Carol didn't doubt that her daughter had chosen it. It was obvious that she idolized Ezekiel and now that they were going to live with him for an indefinite amount of time, Sophia wanted to feel like she belonged. The way that she could do that was to have a dolly that resembled Ezekiel. It didn't bother Carol at all, in fact it made her proud of her daughter and of the caring and tender heart her daughter possesses.

"She's beautiful, just like you!" Carol praises her daughter's choice before helping Sophia place it in the cart. Sophia quickly raises her arms to be picked up and Carol doesn't hesitate to bend down and hoist her on her hip, giving her a kiss on the cheek which makes Sophia giggle. Delighted by her mother's show of affection, Sophia frames Carol's face with her hands and peppers her whole face with sloppy kisses before giggling when her mother tickles her sides.

After calming down Sophia and placing her once more on the seat in the cart, Carol starts moving away from the toy area. "Is there anything else you require?" Ezekiel asks them.

Both Carol and little Sophia shake their head. 

"Anything you might desire?" He asks.

Sophia giggles but quickly loses herself to her dolly, whose box is carefully balanced besides her, as she shows her the tiger plush. Carol, for her part, shakes her head once more. "Nothing else, you've been... you've been very giving already. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you."

"Nonsense." Ezekiel once more denies her desires to pay back his kindness. "You and Sophia deserve this and so much more. I wish I could lavish you with all that you deserve but I'm afraid that if I do you will run away, scared."

Carol chuckles before rolling her eyes at him. "You don't scare me, or Sophia, I don't think we'd ever be afraid with you."

Ezekiel grins, showing how much her words have pleased him. He fiddles with his fingers for a bit, trying not to look as touched as he suddenly is, before pushing the second cart along. "I have plenty of food at home, nothing special but enough to feed us for a fortnight, unless there is something special you wish to pick up."

In an instant both Sophia and Carol stop what they are doing to turn to look at Ezekiel. He raises an eyebrow in surprise at having caught both of their attention with the promise of a special treat. Their reaction and reply will be something he will recount for a very long time, engraved in his mind's eye for an eternity; both of them grin, a single thought in their mind which he knows they will quickly voice. Unanimously, and without turning to look at each other, they declare firmly. "Chocolate."

~~~

"I will not take your bed. Sophia and I can sleep on the sofa."

His home is nothing like she would have imagined it. Just like he said it is in the outskirts of the city, where the land in which houses stand is bigger and greener than the rest of the city. It is not a cabin, at least not seen from the outside, but inside it is as rustic and cozy as one, decorated mostly in dark browns, dark greens and metals. It is also quite obvious that a man lives alone in the house because even though it is not messy at all, its still very practical. There is a big fireplace in the living room which no doubt adds to the coziness and which automatically makes her want to curl up in front of it with a cup of hot chocolate. His couches are big, fluffy, spacious and obviously made to fit his rustic decor. The table and chairs, just like the sofas, are rustic and made out of thick wood. His kitchen isn't huge but spacious enough and as soon as she sees it she's already planning a dinner to thank him for everything he has done. It's sparsely decorated but from what she can see each and every picture hung or displayed is of him holding or standing by an animal; things as normal as horses, rabbits, and dogs and more exotic things such as giraffe's, tigers, lions and even a gorilla. 

He is an animal caretaker through and through.

The rest of the house is decorated in the same way, from the bathroom to his bedroom where they were currently discussing who is going to sleep in the bed and who is going to take the sofa.

Carol insists on sleeping on the sofa with Sophia cuddled against her.

Ezekiel insists she and her daughter should take the bed.

"Up!" Sophia begs as she stretches her arms up to her mother, one hand holding her plush tiger and the other holding the newly unwrapped dolly. As soon as Carol picks her up she's requesting to go on the bed. 

"While the sofa is comfortable, I can attest to it, the bed will be much better for both you and Princess Sophia. More space."

"But its your bed." Carol argues as she places Sophia on the mattress. Sophia scampers to the pillows right away and distracts herself by introducing her tiger to her dolly, complete with baby talk and tiger sounds. "We are already taking over your space. I don't want to take over your bed as well."

"My mother taught me better. She would roll in her grave if she were to ever find out that I slept in a big, comfortable bed while a woman and her child slept in the sofa." Carol scrunches up her face which prompts him to chuckle. "I am not sexist." He assures her. "But my mother was well ingrained in her beliefs and she will find a way from beyond the grave to let me know she's displeased with me. I'd rather not tempt her."

"I can't." Carol says, shaking her head. She turns her back to Sophia and sits down on the corner of the bed. She can't help but take a deep breath and slowly release it. "I'm very grateful Ezekiel, I really am. Sophia and I have never had as much as you got us today, and I will forever be grateful for it, but we truly will be fine on the sofa."

Ezekiel joins her by the bed, their shoulders and arms pressed together. "You've suffered enough." He whispers to her, placing his hand on his knee, palm up, offering his touch if she wanted it.

She doesn't hesitate and slips her hand into his. "Sleeping in a sofa is hardly suffering."

"It is when you wake up aching and groaning in pain after spending a night in it when a bed is readily available."

She shakes her head at him, the side of her lips curling slightly into a smile even as she tried to suppress it. He gives her hand a little squeeze. She turns her face towards him, her eyes sweeping over his face, settling for a second on his lips. The sudden desire to kiss him runs through her but she suppresses it and turns away though she doesn't take her hand away from his. 

"The friend you mentioned... the lawyer... Do you think she really will help me?" She hates sounding so dependent, so afraid that everything will fall around her, but the fact is that she is dependent of him and his charity for the time being. 

"Michonne?" He asks her.

Carol nods as she turns to look at him once more, her eyes pleading him for answers that he still doesn't have, not until he talks to his friend. "Yes. Do you think she'll take the case pro-bono. I... I obviously don't have money to pay her but I do plan to get a job soon, I'll look everywhere I can, maybe then I can pay her."

"I don't think she'll even consider you paying her for this." He answered truthfully. "But I am certain that she will help."

"The divorce and Sophia's custody?"

"And an order to keep him away, he can't get near you or Sophia."

Carol bites the inside of her lip. She knows that if he does find them, if he gets close enough to her and to her daughter, he will no doubt kill them. She doesn't plan to give him the chance to do so but she has to admit she hardly thinks an order will keep him away. "He's not going to follow it, Ezekiel, not if he finds us."

"Then he won't find you. We can find you a job, get you on your feet. You are welcome to stay here as long as you need, as long as you want, until you are steady and if you want to leave then we can find you and Sophia a home."

"It just seems... it all seems so good to be true. You meet us and then suddenly we are away from Ed and starting a new life and..." A sob that comes completely out of nowhere, slams into her. She doesn't know why it happens but it steals her breath for a second, makes her stutter and flusters her. Ezekiel tightens his hold on her hand, grounding her. "I'm scared that it is all too good to be true and Sophia will be... hurt."

"Sophia won't be hurt, you won't let it, I won't let it either." He assures her. "I will speak to the director of the zoo, maybe we can find you a job there, you won't have to be exposed while looking for a job and running into him."

It sounds like a good idea to her, perhaps a little bit of a dream but working at the zoo, having him near to assure Sophia and her, sounds like something she can live with. "Remember... he doesn't know the city, doesn't know the community. I do. That's an advantage... an advantage I will use to its full extent to help you for as long as you want me to help."

"Is forever too much time?" She asks in a moment of weakness.

He gives her a tiny chuckle, his chest jumping with the effort. "Forever sounds perfect enough, if that's what you need and want."

She gives him a shy smile, thankful he didn't call her crazy or run away screaming from the huge responsibility he must feel. She presses her free hand over their intertwined fingers and gives it a gentle squeeze. Leaning to the side she presses her head against his shoulder and slides her hand upward, securing against his arm. Its only a couple of seconds but she feels like she could stay there forever; protected, secure and, dare she say it, happy.

A tiny snore interrupts them moments later. They pull apart and turn to look towards the area of the pillows where they had last seen Sophia. Carol can't help but giggle as she sees her daughter surrounded by pillows, a dolly under one arm and the tiger under the other. She's sprawled right in the middle of the bed, fast asleep without a care in the world. Carol realizes she's never seen such calm in her daughter's features as she sleeps but instead of feeling bad about it she finds peace in the knowledge that calm is now an option that she will fight to keep in her daughter's life. 

"I guess that settles it." Ezekiel declares. He turns to look at Carol and gives her a triumphant smile. "The sofa it is for me."

With her daughter having decided where they would spend the night by falling asleep right in the middle of Ezekiel's bed, Carol cannot try and persuade him to let her sleep on the sofa so she can't do more than give him a nod. He rocks back and forth on the heal of his feet before letting out a nervous laugh which makes her blush. This is new for both of them and a little awkward, she doesn't fault him for not knowing what to do.

"I'll go get the pajamas." She ends up stammering out as she starts moving towards the front of the house. It takes her a couple of minutes to find the bag with the pajamas but once she finds them she pulls them out and makes her way back to his bedroom. As she walks in she catches him finishing rearranging Sophia, whom he has transferred from laying on top of the sheets so that he could pull back the sheets. Carol smiles and continues on her way without a word, as if it was the most normal thing they were doing, pulling out the tiger pajamas and her own set of red clothes. She works quickly on changing a sleeping Sophia then with Ezekiel's help, she tucks her in. 

Ezekiel leans down and presses a kiss on Sophia's forehead before whispering. "Sweet dreams, sweet princess."

Carol cannot remember a single time Ed had taken the time to tuck in their daughter, much less call her something as sweet as princess. 

Sophia mumbles in her sleep before pulling her doll and tiger tighter to her chest without even opening her eyes. She settles right away, leaving Carol and Ezekiel in silence, once more wondering what they should do. It is Ezekiel who takes the lead this time, turning to her and approaching her slowly, giving her ample time and space to move. Carol doesn't. "I'm going to give you a kiss on the forehead, I have it on good authority that they bring the best of dreams."

Carol leans her head down, the bottom of her chin pressing against her chest. She can feel his breath against her skin as he nears her, then the soft press of his lips and the tickle of his beard. He takes a couple of seconds before pulling back. "Sleep tight and sweet dreams, milady."

"Sweet dreams." She whispers.

She slides into the bed besides Sophia, her body turned towards her daughter. She looks so serene in her sleep, though she still keeps her hold on both of her toys. She can’t help but smile as Sophia suckles on her tongue, her little cheeks moving with her efforts. She smooths a hand over her daughter's forehead, pushing away the random strands of strawberry blond hair from her forehead. The sprinkling of freckles on her daughter’s cheek and nose makes her want to play connect a dot as she has done so many times to sooth her little one. She stops herself because this time Sophia doesn’t seem to need it.

“This time it will be different, sweat pea.” She whispers. “Mama promises.”

She turns slightly on the bed, her face now staring at the ceiling. “What?” She whispers as she notices the constellations that are hand drawn on the dark ceiling. Of course, someone like Ezekiel would have night constellations so he could see them whenever he wished. She muffles her laugh in fear of waking Sophia then snuggles down on the mattress, the blankets pulled up to her chin. 

For the first time in years she is calm and fearless, not wondering if she will wake up in the middle of the night to Ed torture or his anger. For the first time she doesn't have to fear something will happen to her daughter while she sleep, unable to protect her, she doesn't have to force herself to stay in some type of consciousness so she'll catch the smallest sound of her husband leaving their bed or her daughter's door opening. For the first time she sinks into the mattress and closes her eyes with a smile on her face.

For the first time she simply sleeps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave me comments and kudos if you enjoyed this!


	7. Time to Rise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter the lawyer, a personal friend of Ezekiel’s who doesn’t sugar coat things but will do her absolute best to help Carol. Carol meanwhile fights the inner turmoil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer:
> 
> Carol Peletier, Sophia Peletier, King Ezekiel, Henry, Jerry, Shiva, and any other recognizable character or plot of The Walking Dead belong to AMC Network and Skybound Entertainment, Image Comics and Robert Kirkman.
> 
> In no way is the author claiming ownage of any of the characters nor is there any economical/monetary gain at any time. The author is extremely respectful of the original creators and is willing to take down this work of fiction if requested.
> 
> No copyright infringement intended.
> 
> Original characters are property of the author.

“No! No! Stop! STOP! MAMAAAAAA!!!”

Carol is jolted awake by Sophia’s blood curling screams which bounce around in Ezekiel’s room. She reacts without thinking, turning on the lamp on the bedside table then gathering Sophia in her arms. The little girl twists against her embrace, pushing her away, swatting at an invisible force, trying to escape the nightmare she is currently wrapped in.

“MAAAAAAMAAAAAAA!!!” 

“Shhh, Sophia it’s alright, sweet pea.” She whispers near her daughter’s ear, hoping it will be enough to calm her but Sophia keeps on struggling.

“STOP DADDY! NO HURT! MAMAAAA!”

“I’m right here sweet pea.” Carol insists even as she hears the thundering footsteps coming towards the closed door. “Ed isn’t here. It’s just you and me, we are safe. Wake up my love.” Carol begs.

Sophia continues pounding her little fists against Carol’s chest, though the strength behind them lessens. In front of her the door opens showing a bewildered looking Ezekiel. His eyes are wide, his fist clenched tightly as he prepares to fight against whomever is making the little girl cry. He breathes hard but doesn’t say anything, she’s not sure he even understands what’s happening as he looks around in an attempt to find what has hurt Sophia. When he finds no immediate threat he turns on the light, bathing them in a soft white glow.

Sophia’s eyes are still closed though Carol can tell she’s not asleep anymore. Her brow is furrowed and sweaty, her arms held tightly against her chest. Her cries have turned into small whimpers. “Open your eyes, sweet pea.” She whispers as she gently caresses her daughter’s sweaty cheek. “It’s alright Sophia, Mama is here. Ed isn’t here, he can’t find us.”

She feels the bed dip as Ezekiel sits on the edge of the mattress. He continues being silent though Carol can hear his breathing. She’s grateful that he hasn’t said a word because she’s not sure what Sophia’s reaction will be. Carol can feel his eyes trained on them but instead of it putting her on edge, his gaze actually calms her, makes her feel safe.

“Open your eyes sweet pea.” She begs once more. Her daughter is afraid of opening her eyes and finding Ed in the same room as they are, Carol can’t fault her for that fear but she knows she must also encourage Sophia to face her fear by reassuring her that she is as safe as she can be. In her arms, Sophia slowly opens her hazle eyes, her chin quivering strongly, big fat tears running down the sides of her face. Sophia’s eyes go wide and she quickly looks around, trying to find the phantom of her father. “See? No one is here but you and I and Ezekiel.”

Sophia turns to look at Ezekiel then buries her face against her mother’s chest. Ezekiel inches himself a little closer before whispering in a soft, tender voice. “Hey Princess Sophia. Did bad dreams plague your slumber?”

Sophia nods against her mother’s breast as she looks at Ezekiel from the corner of her teary eyes. She raises a hand and clutches at her mother’s shirt, adhering herself to Carol almost like a baby koala. “Was your daddy hurting you?” Ezekiel asks. Before Carol can remind him that Ed never hurt Sophia, that she had made sure of it, Sophia shakes her head against her chest.

“No,” she whimpers. “Hurt Mama.”

Carol cradles her daughter closer. She buries her nose in her daughter’s strawberry blond hair, taking a second to inhale the scent that was uniquely Sophia’s intermixed with baby shampoo before pressing a kiss to the top of her daughter head.

“He was hurting your mama?” Ezekiel asks softly. Sophia’s reply is to give her head a nod before burying her face once again against Carol’s chest. “That wasn’t nice of him, was it?”

“It wasn’t.” Carol agrees as she gently smooths her hand over her daughter’s back. “It’s never right to hit anyone, right Sophia? We have to use our words, not our fists.”

“Right Mama.” She presses her face against Carol’s shirt then rubs it from side to side leaving behind tear and some snot, her little hands going up to rub at her eyes before she lets out a tired yawn. Carol knows Sophia will fight sleep, she always does after a nightmare. She gives Ezekiel a glance, hoping that he won’t get displeased by being waken in the middle of the night. Instead all she encounters is Ezekiel’s sleepy face with a tender smile.

“Don’t worry little princess.” Ezekiel reaches between them and gently caresses one of Sophia’s chubby cheeks. Carol expects her daughter to pull back, fear running through her tiny body. Instead Sophia sniffles which is followed by a tentative giggle. “Your father will not breach the protection of this castle. It is strong, impassable even by the worst of foes. Your Mama and you are safe here.”

Carol remains quiet as Sophia gives a little nod. “Safe.” She hears her daughter whisper. It amazes her how Sophia has not only opened up to Ezekiel but also accepts his words as if they were law. She truly believes that they are safe here, in Ezekiel’s home, surrounded by their share love for animals . Now more than ever Carol knows how important it is for Sophia to have a safe place, a place that no matter what happens she can go back to and not have to fear for her or her mother’s safety. Ezekiel has provided that safe place for Sophia and Carol has no idea how to repay him for that kindness.

“Exactly. You are safe here. Even when you have nightmares.”

Sophia’s little hands release their hold on Carol’s shirt as she relaxes in her mother’s arms. She raises her little hands to brush away tears before she giggles as Ezekiel teases her side. Wiggling she moves away from Ezekiel’s nimble fingers, bursting herself deeper in her mother’s embrace. “No tickles!” She squeals.

“No tickles?” Ezekiel asks, feigning ignorance. “But I am the tickle monster, I must tickle the beautiful princess.”

“No!” Sophia squeals, her mouth wide in a smile, hazle eyes bright and sparkling, the remains of her tears leaving her eyes slightly red and tear tracks drying on her cheeks. She’s already forgotten the thread of her father’s presence. She’s already moved past the nightmare, the revived memories and the tears. Now Sophia giggles happily, wiggling away from both her mother and Ezekiel as she rushes to grab hold of her stuffed tiger.

“Rawr!” She grumbles as she pushes the tiger in front of Ezekiel’s face.

Ezekiel gasps and pulls back. “The Princess possesses a pet tiger?” Ezekiel playfully questions. 

“Yes!” Sophia declares. “Rawr!” She repeats, jumping slightly as she pushes her tiger to his face once again. 

“The strongest tiger in the land is the princess’ most loved friend!” He declares dramatically. “What misfortune has befallen upon me! A princess and a tiger! I shall refrain from tickling the princess if only to save my life from meeting an untimely death.”

“You two are crazy.” Carol interrupts their antics with a shake of her head, though her lips were curled into a smile. “What will I do with you two?”

Sophia turns to look at Ezekiel as if to ask him silently if he had an answer. When Ezekiel shrugs at her Sophia turns to look at Carol and gives her a tiny shrug of her own. Sophia then offers her the tiger for a kiss which Carol gladly gives. A quick look at the bright red numbers shinning behind her daughter’s form tell her how late, or early, it really is. “Do you feel better now, sweet pea?”

Sophia gives her a nod before pulling her tiger against her chest. “Yes, Mama. I sleep now?”

Carol stares at her daughter surprised though she then adds. “If you feel like it, baby.”

Sophia turns to look at Ezekiel with a upward tilt of her chin. “I’m not going anywhere, Princess.” Ezekiel promises her, making a cross over his heart. “Remember, you are safe between these walls. Your mama is safe here. Even your tigger is safe here.” Again Sophia nods before climbing off her mother’s lap, crawling her way across the space between Carol and Ezekiel only to take Ezekiel’s face between her hands and giving him a kiss on the nose, just like her mom gives her on occasion. 

“Alright. Everyone back to bed!” Carol declares, fully taking advantage of her daughter’s sudden change in routine from fearfully fighting off sleep to actively wanting to go back to dreamland.

“You heard her Princess Sophia, back to bed.” Ezekiel declares as he stands up from the edge of the bed. He gives Sophia a kiss on the top of her head before kissing Carol’s forehead, letting his lips linger against her soft skin. “Whatever you guys need I will be in the living room. I’ll keep guard over your lair, rest easy, you are protected.”

Carol finds herself nodding in agreement before turning towards her daughter who has smuggle under the covers once again.

If they are lucky enough, Sophia won’t wake up screaming a second time that night. 

If they are lucky enough, Sophia will never have another nightmare.

Somehow the thought doesn’t seem that far fetched anymore.

——

Carol wakes with a start. For a second she’s not sure what woke her but she’s in high alert right away. It’s only when she sees the unfamiliar ceiling and walls that she calms down. She’s not at the apartment with Ed and that’s all that matters. Her face hurts as she tries to move it around to judge just how badly swollen it is front he beating she received. She raises a hand and gently presses her fingers to the affected area only to pull back with a sharp hiss as soon as her fingers make contact. It’s bad and she knows it just by the level of pain she feels and how her eye can barely open.

Turning, she moves to look for Sophia who surprisingly hasn’t waken. That’s when she feels panic erupt in her chest, Sophia is not laying down besides her. Quickly she moves out of the bed, trying to see if her daughter has rolled off. She’s about to rush to the door, in a full state of panic while screaming her daughter’s name, when she notices the neatly written note at the door. 

“She’s with me. Woke up again. No nightmares. We decided not to wake you.” She reads under her breath. She must have been far more exhausted than she originally thought if Sophia woke up, got out of bed, reached Ezekiel who then left her a note on the door and she still didn’t wake up. She presses her forehead to the door, right over the note, taking a moment to calm her sudden rush of panic. Sophia is alright. She’s safe. She is with Ezekiel. Ezekiel can protect her.

Once her heart has stopped racing she combs her fingers through her hair, unruly curls flopping everywhere, and smooths out her hands on the shirt she used to sleep in to try and iron out as best as she can the tiny little wrinkles formed in sleep. She readies herself to face the day without letting stares of people seeing her injuries affect her. It’s only when she’s stepped out do the room and gone down the hallway, that she realizes they are not alone.

“I know what I am doing,” she hears Ezekiel say in a hush tone. “It might seem like I have lost my mind, like I have fallen for a folly, but my heart is true and I know their’s is as well.”

“Do you really?” A woman’s voice replies. Carol doesn’t know who this voice belongs to, but she can still detect that it is dripping with worry. “You’ve only known them for what... a couple of weeks, at the most and only because the little girl happens to be in love with tigers, yet here we are and you’ve already moved them in.”

“I couldn’t allow them to return to her husband. He would have surely murdered both of them.”

“See! You know he’s dangerous but you are willingly putting yourself in harms way for a stranger! Zeke you have to start using your head and not your heart.”

“Shhhhh.” Ezekiel hushes the woman. There’s a couple of seconds of silence in which she feels like an intruder for spying on the conversation, but she continues doing so only because they were talking about her and Sophia.

“Have you thought about that?” The woman asks in the same hushed tone that Ezekiel has been using. “What you’re gonna do if her crazy husband gets here and tries to kill her and the girl?”

“I’ll protect them till my dying breath.”

“That doesn’t calm me at all Ezekiel.” The woman says after she lets out a sigh. “You are way over your head. This is only going to end with you hurt and her dead.”

She can distinctly hear the sadness in the woman’s voice, the resolution of her words almost as if she has seen this very result a thousand times over. “Michonne... Carol is what I never believed I would encounter in life. I know you don’t understand, or perhaps refuse to believe, but it feels like I know her, like I’ve known her all my life, as if we are soulmates meant to be together. Who am I to go against what fate has dictated? What you see as an imposition, as dangerous, I see as an honor, the honor to be in her and Sophia’s presence for as long as I am allowed. This is what I’m meant to do, what I want to do. Will you help me?”

There’s some rustling while Ezekiel and the women remain quiet. Then she hears someone sitting down on the couch, letting out a sound of defeat. “I hate you.” She hears the woman say though by the slight sarcasm in her tone Carol assumes she’s joking. “Sophia is a cute kid though.”

“Please Michonne, help us get rid of the danger. You are the only one I know who can do it.”

She hears another sigh of defeat but then silence falls upon the talking pair once more. “Fine, I’ll do it pro-bono but you better be right, she better be ready to go through with the divorce and not just be playing. If I even detect a hint of her considering going back to that man I will drop it all.”

Before Ezekiel can reply Carol is already making herself visible to the pair by entering the living room. “I’m not going back.” She declares.

The site that greats her is not at all what she had envisioned. For starters, Michonne had sounded harsh and cutthroat leaving Carol to think she’d find a woman dressed in pristine expensive clothes with hair sleeked back and a no nonsense look on her face, but in her place was a woman with a strong face but a caring expression, long dreads styled down her back with tiny rings on them to adorn her hair, she wears a couple of bangle bracelets in one wrist and a ring in the opposite hand. 

For a moment she’s at a loss of words and she turns to look at Ezekiel for help, who is laying down on the couch. That’s when she’s surprised again. He’s laid back position is a complete contrast to the begging he had been doing just moments ago. A quick look tells her why he’s laying down while Michonne sits opposite to him; Sophia. Her daughter, who had woken in the middle of the night, rests comfortably against Ezekiel’s chest. She’s fast asleep, lost to the world, without a trace of worry or residual fear from her nightmares marring her face. Her little rosebud mouth is parted, her hand curled against her chin as she sleeps the morning away. Her strawberry blond hair is a mess, a mess she’ll have to deal with later. All in all they present a picture that Carol has always longed to see, that of a happy family. 

“Did we wake you?” Ezekiel asks Carol before sending Michonne a dirty look as if he’s accusing her of being too loud.

“No... I...”. She’s still trying to find the words to say while she feels her very soul melt with the need to form part of the happily laid back family picture Sophia and Ezekiel present. “You didn’t wake me.”

“Is it safe to assume you are Carol?” Michonne asks her as she extends a hand for Carol to shake. Carol can see the pity in the woman’s eyes and though it saddens her to be in the receiving end of such gaze, she can’t really fault her. She knows, even though Michonne doesn’t look directly at it, that she’s looking at the shinner Ed has left her with. 

“Yes.” Carol replies before shaking the woman’s hand. “And as I said... I’m not planning to go back to him.”

“Good.” Michonne gives her a sharp nod followed by a smile. “Because we have a lot of work to do.”

———

She’s exhausted.

All morning Michonne has been grilling her about her husband’s abuse, drawing up a rough timeline of when it started, when it got worse and when it become unbearable. She asked every question there was to ask one, twice and three times. She left nothing unanswered. It was easy to see why Ezekiel believed she was the one that could help Carol. Michonne was a dedicated lawyer, cut throat when she needed to be and gentle when things got too emotional. 

By the time Michonne declares she has everything she needs the roller coaster of the past and present abuse her husband has inflicted on her has rendered Carol physically exhausted.

“I’m not going to lie to you, Carol.” Michonne interrupts Carol’s exhausted train of thought. “Given the amount of evidence that has been explained away to the hospitals and the fact that no one but Sophia has witnessed the abuse, it’s going to be hard to prove that Ed abused you. It’s your word against his, that’s how the judge is going to see it.”

“Michonne...” Ezekiel starts with a warning tone which is cut off by Michonne as she raises a finger in his direction. 

“But I’m going to do my best to make sure that he’s put away for a very long time. The pictures of your face and your testimony will help and I’m going to request any file they have from the list of hospitals you visited. The more injuries we can prove the better. I’m also going to file an emergency restraining order, file for child custody, as well as start the divorce proceedures.”

“A restraining order won’t stop him.” Carol whispers before turning to look towards Sophia who has busied herself by playing with her stuffed tiger and her baby doll. 

“That’s why you need shelter.” Out of the corner of her eye she sees as Michonne shares a glance with Ezekiel. “Zeke has offered his home for your protection but he does have a job. You’ll either have to stay in here during his shifts or you’ll go with him.”

“I’ll stay.” She replies

“She’ll travel with me.” Ezekiel answers at the same time.

“You’ll have to talk about it.” Michonne declares. “Whatever you decide you need to stick to. Are you sure Ed has no way of knowing where you’d be?”

Carol nods slowly, dread setting in the pit of her stomach as her mind reminds her that this is too much trouble to go through for the likes of her. 

“Are you sure Carol? This isn’t just about you and Sophia anymore. Ezekiel’s safety is also something we have to consider.”

Carol’s eyes quickly turn to look at her then at Ezekiel. She has to fight the impulse that has been growing all morning to call the whole thing off. It’s a losing battle she’s about to forfeit when Sophia’s sing song voice reaches her. She turns to look at her daughter who for the first time seems completely at ease, playing without having to look over her shoulder in case her father flips. She’s moving her head from side to side, humming a lullaby, as she ‘feeds’ her dolly before rubbing her face against her tiger’s soft fur. She has to do this for Sophia. The dread is still within her, the impulse to run is still there, but the strength she gathers from seeing Sophia finally enjoying life is too strong to be squashed by her insecurities and fears.

“I’m sure.” She replies. “We never told him we were leaving the apartment and we never mentioned the zoo.”

“Good.” Michonne gives her yet another nod. “If for whatever reason, at whatever time, you feel that he knows where you are, or you see him near here or near the zoo, call the police then call me, understood?”

“Yes.”

“Just...” Michonne’s change in tone of voice from cutthroat to soft has Carol looking up. She can see the concern on the woman’s face, concern not only for Ezekiel’s well being but for Sophia and her as well. “Just be careful. I’m going to do everything I can to rid you of your husband, but I need you to be careful.”

“I will be.” Carol promises.

“Alright.” Michonne says with a flair of finality. “I’ll leave now, get started on the paperwork. I’ll come by to have you sign the divorce papers and deliver the restraining order.” 

Carol watches as Michonne gathers her things before sending a silent look towards Ezekiel. She knows what the look means and she finds herself feeling a sudden rush of shame. She quickly looks away and tries to stop the slam of emotions that surge through her. She feels so inadequate, like she’s just a burden to him, a burden that could potentially cost him his life. There is no doubt in her mind that Ed could reach that level of violence and the last thing she wants is for Ezekiel to be hurt. 

“You mustn’t hide.” She hears Ezekiel tell her as he moves from his sitting spot to sit besides her. “The situation is overwhelming but in the end all that matters is that you and the Princess feel secure.”

“I don’t want to get you in trouble.” She manages to squeeze the words through her constricted throat. “Ed... he wouldn’t doubt in killing us.”

“Carol, I live a calm pleasant life. I have no enemies as I have procured to harvest friendships out of those I meet. I have no doubt your husband is someone we need to keep guard from but I promise you,”. He pauses as he gently coaxes her to turn and look at him. “I promise you I will not let any ill will befall upon you, even if it means laying down my life for yours and Sophia’s.”

“But I don’t want you to!” She quickly intersects, the tears that have gathered in her eyes now freely falling down her cheeks. “I don’t want you to be in danger, I don’t want you to have to support my daughter and I. I don’t... you shouldn’t have to deal with a useless woman and her kid.”

“The person who has called you useless doesn’t know or can’t see the pureness of your soul, the strength you have within you.”

“I’m not strong,”. She says as she brushes away her tears. “I’m not.”

“You are... you just have to find the strength within you. You have to believe in yourself as I believe in you.”

“And if you are wrong? If I really am not strong?”

Silence falls between them and around them. Hearing no sound from her daughter, Carol turns to look at Sophia who is intently looking at them. Her daughter doesn’t seem scared instead her big hazle eyes seem to hold the promise of a new future. She knows she has to keep trying for her, knows she has to keep telling herself she can do it, reminding herself what she’s fighting for. It is not just her liberty but Sophia’s well being on stake.

When she turns to look at Ezekiel she finds that he is also looking at Sophia. He has a face splitting grin on him as he opens his arms and leans back against the couch, perching an arm on the backrest and one of the arm rest. “Do not doubt yourself for neither Sophia nor I believe you to be weak. You are the Phoenix and milady, it’s time to rise.”


	8. Welcomings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Shiva Day and no one is more excited that Sophia’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer:
> 
> Carol Peletier, Sophia Peletier, King Ezekiel, Henry, Jerry, Shiva, and any other recognizable character or plot of The Walking Dead belong to AMC Network and Skybound Entertainment, Image Comics and Robert Kirkman.
> 
> In no way is the author claiming ownage of any of the characters nor is there any economical/monetary gain at any time. The author is extremely respectful of the original creators and is willing to take down this work of fiction if requested.
> 
> No copyright infringement intended.
> 
> Original characters are property of the author.

It surprises Carol how quickly they fall into a routine.

Ezekiel gets up early every day because of his job which requieres him to be at the zoo bright and early every morning. He tinkers around the kitchen after taking a shower, preparing breakfast for the three of them. Carol wakes up to the scent of food she hasn’t had to prepare, a smile always painted on her lips. She turns towards Sophia, who is sprawled on the bed, happily sleeping and taking over far more of her share of mattress and blankets, and wakes her up by gently caressing her cheeks and peppering kisses to her beautiful face. When Sophia has somewhat woken, Carol picks her up, secures her against her hip, then walks out of Ezekiel’s bedroom to join him. They have breakfast together where they introduce Sophia to new things every day, things that had previously been forbidden for her; pancakes and waffles, cereal that doesn’t taste like cardboard, fruits other than apples, and chocolate or strawberry milk. When they are done Ezekiel goes to have a shower while she cleans up, something she insists on doing since he cooked. When he’s ready to go he says goodbye to Sophia by kissing her forehead then he says goodbye to her by kissing her hand.

Carol and Sophia occupy themselves around his home while he’s at the zoo; reading books about wildlife or playing with her doll or enjoying a round of hide and seek. She cleans whatever mess they do and as a thank you for another day of protection she cooks dinner despite Ezekiel insisting she doesn’t have to, that is if he doesn’t call with the news that he’s bringing something exciting for her daughter to try. She knows he’s talking to the zoo’s Human Resources department to see if there is a spot she can work in so that they won’t have to stay secluded at his home but she’s not in a hurry to leave. Ezekiel’s home brings them a sense of peace and protection neither had ever felt before and she, for once, isn’t trying to run away from that feeling.

By the end of the week they have their routine down pat, just in time to welcome little Shiva to what will be her foster home for the foreseeable future.

Sophia wakes up fully knowing what day it is, with bounds of energy that Carol doesn’t know where they came from. She wakes up Carol by happily bouncing on the bed with her little toddler legs, clutching her tiger plush by the ear.

“Shiva day!” She exclaims excited. “Mama! Shiva day!”

Carol smiles up at her daughter’s antics. Giggles as she sees Sophia’s bushy-from-sleep pigtails bouncing around. Sophia is happy and that’s all she cares for so she lets her jump on the mattress in a way that her little girl had be unable to do before today. Ed would have surely protested her doing this in his house and Sophia would have never felt secure enough to express her happiness while her father was at home. 

Hearing that Ezekiel is already tinkering at the kitchen, Carol catches Sophia in a bear hug and plants kisses all over her freckled cheeks. “Let’s get ready then!”

Moments later, once she has wrestled Sophia into one of the outfits Ezekiel got for her and has managed to get her daughter hair back into two neat ponytails, Carol opens the door for her to scurry away. Sophia silently rushes out of the room. She knows she’ll make a bee-line towards the kitchen door where she will patiently wait for Ezekiel to pick her up and set her on the counter.

“Little Princess! You have waken!” She hears Ezekiel welcome Sophia.

Her daughter, true to her blossoming toddler self and with the softest voice, requests. “Up?”

“Your request is my command.” She can’t help but smile at his response. Sophia is starting to explore her newfound freedom and Ezekiel has been nothing but a cheerleader and supporter. 

Quickly she changes into the clothing she chose the day before, a pair of dark blue jeans which for once aren’t baggy and a white cotton blouse. She washes her face, her teeth, then fumbles with her hair. As always, it’s a mess of dark auburn curls that she can’t control no matter what she does with them. She pulls them back, a couple of stray strands fall from her hold and fall down on her face. They don’t look bad but they certainly look like they have a life of their own. 

Does Ezekiel like them? 

With a sigh, she looks away from the bathroom mirror and leans on the sink. What is she thinking? Why does it matter to her if Ezekiel likes her hair? Sure, they have talked about the feelings that continue to quickly grow between, but she hardly thinks that Ezekiel will like a vain person and certainly a person who worries about her hair is as vain as they can be. She looks up again, this time focusing on the greenish bruise on her eye. The swelling has drastically lessen and she can open her eye but it’s still slightly puffed. The edges have started to turn yellow and she gives a little thank you to God for her fast healing, but most of her eyelid and cheekbone is still marred in green and yellow tones and the white of her eye still has a bit of red where Ed had broken tiny blood vessels.

She can’t help but chuckle pitifully at herself. Who does she think she is? Here she is worrying about whether or not her crush likes her hair when her face is all kinds of swollen and colored. Despite Ezekiel voicing his crush to her, in that moment Carol can’t help but think that he really can’t be serious. How can he feel anything for the likes of her? 

With a sigh she starts working on covering the bruise with the makeup Ezekiel got for her. He’d insisted she didn’t need it because there was no shame in surviving her husband’s wrath, but they were going to accompany him to the zoo and the last thing she want/ is to have to hide her face. Years of covering up bruises serve her perfectly and soon she comes out of the bathroom and out of the bedroom with almost no evidence of her husband’s fists except for the puffiness around her eye.

Her daughters giggles welcome her as she moves through the living room towards the kitchen. She can’t help but peek into the kitchen were she finds her daughter sitting on the counter, her nose and cheek with a dust of flour, and Ezekiel standing in front of the stove, a white hand imprint on his cheek which looks suspiciously like Sophia’s. He flips the pancake up high which makes her daughter dissolve into giggles around the spoon she’s licking. Judging by the purple tinge on her lips, Ezekiel has given Sophia a spoon with blueberry conserves for her to lick away.

“What are you two doing?” She asks as she steps into the kitchen.

Ezekiel and Sophia both turn to look at her with matching grins on their lips. She has to shake her head a little to clear it from the thoughts that flood her mind, specially the one that screams at her that this is perhaps the family unit she’s been yearning for all her life.

“Mama!” Sophia greats her with all the happiness her little body can contain. “Cakes!”

“Ezekiel is doing pancakes?” She asks her daughter even though she can clearly see that’s exactly what’s happening.

“Blueberry pancakes.” Ezekiel is the one to elaborate.

“Yummy!” Sophia declares with a rub to her tummy before she once more occupies herself with her spoon.

Carol moves to her daughters side where she tenderly wipes away the flour from her daughters face. “Did you have fun helping Ezekiel?” Sophia eagerly nods before scooting closer to the edge of the counter and opening her arms for Carol.

“Down please.” She requests. Carol taps her daughter’s nose before helping her down from the counter. It doesn’t take long before Sophia has scampered away, spoon still in her hand.

She’s left alone with Ezekiel. Instantly, and despite the fact that they are comfortable with each other, Carol can’t help but feel her cheeks reddening and the heat taking over her skin. She tries to busy herself in helping only to make a mess as she knocks over the batter. “Shoot!” She exclaims and quickly tries to put the bowl in its correct position. Ezekiel must have been doing the same thing because their hands end up one over the other. Sparks ignite up her arm and the butterflies in her stomach take flight. Neither pull their hand back.

“Sorry.” She says. Carol tries to hide her face from Ezekiel, feeling how much it’s truly burning, but Ezekiel only chuckles besides her.

“No harm done.” He promises before flipping the pancake over yet again with his other hand then transferring it to a plate. “Does my presence make you nervous?”

Carol quickly turns to look at him, her cheeks blushing even harder. How does he know? How can he read her so effortlessly? Despite her lack of answer Ezekiel squeezes her fingers then brings them up to his lips for a gentle kiss.

“You know you do.” She admits as she tries to push away the rush of heat her skin is feeling. “But... that’s not always a bad thing, right?”

“I don’t believe it is.” He agrees with her before slowly releasing her hand and leaning forward to kiss her forehead. She closes her eyes and leans slightly forward to feel his lips longer agains her skin. A deep breath fills her lungs with his scent. She wants nothing more than to cuddle at his side, to have that right, but she knows she doesn’t so she eventually pulls back.

“Boo!” Sophia’s sudden appearance makes them jump apart, half scared and half caught. “Tiggy day!” 

“You are correct, Sophia. The time has come for our beloved tiger to come home. But first we must fill our bellies.” He declares before shooing them away playfully with sweeps of his hands toward the kitchen door. “Now go, relieve my kitchen of your presence. I will deliver breakfast when it’s prepared.”

They have breakfast together with Sophia practically smooshing the pancakes into her mouth despite both her and Ezekiel reminding her to take small bites. Carol knows that she’s excited and wants to be done with breakfast as soon as possible in order to go with Shiva, but she certainly doesn’t want her to choke. She’s about to reach over and cut her pancakes into acceptable bites when Ezekiel beats her to it. She smiles at him and he smiles back before sending a wink her way.

The wave of emotions that crash into her definitively tell her she’s in over her head where Ezekiel is concerned. It doesn’t scare her though, not really. It actually sort of excites her.

When breakfast has been finished, teeth have been washed, clothes have been straightened and they’ve double checked everything is ready to receive the tiger cub, they pile into Ezekiel’s car. Sophia sings to herself all the way, occasionally reminding her and Ezekiel that they are going to go pick up Shiva, as if either of them could forget. Carol angles herself inward so that no one can look at her face from outside, just a precaution, but it also serves so that she can see both her daughter and the man that is slowly stealing her heart.

“And how do tigers communicate their happiness?” Ezekiel quizzes her daughter.

Sophia grins, showing off her little baby teeth and making her chubby cheek appear rounder than they are. She attempts to make the chuffing sound that she’s heard Shiva do but falls into giggles when Ezekiel joins her. Carol loves her daughter’s laughter more than anything in the world, the fact that Ezekiel is bringing it out of her makes her fall more for the man.

“And if a tiger gets scared, what do they do?” Carol asks.

She watches as Ezekiel tilts his head a little higher, catching Sophia’s reflection in the mirror. 

“Jump!” Sophia declares, after all that’s what the tigers she has seen on the videos in Ezekiel’s home have done. “And puff!”

“Puff?” Ezekiel asks her a little confused.

“Yes! Puff!” Sophia demonstrates by pushing her hands against her belly then extending them outward, as wide as they possibly could be.

“She means their fur.” Carol explains. “They get all frizzy.”

“Oh.” Ezekiel nods with understanding. “And how do tigers behave when hunting their prey?”

Sophia crouches a little on her seat, as best as she can since she’s in a sitting position and restrained. Her shoulders go high as her head goes low. She doesn’t break eye contact with Ezekiel, her pray, she barely moves a muscle.

“That is actually very good, sweet pea.” Carol praises. To her daughter this was all play about her favorite animal, but to Carol and Ezekiel this is information she needs to know now that Shiva is coming home with them.

“Remember, we must pet her gently. She mustn’t be frightened, this is unfamiliar territory to her, similar to when you and Mama came to my house, weren’t you fearful?”

Sophia takes a moment to consider his question and the way she had felt. Surprisingly she ends up shaking her head, her pigtails flying everywhere. “Nope.”

“No?” Carol asks softly making eye contact with her child. She would have thought her daughter would have been fearful, after all they’d just gotten out of a dangerous situation and Ezekiel’s home was nothing like she’d ever been in. 

“Nope.” Sophia repeats as she shyly brings up her stuffed animal against her chest, partially hiding her face in it. “Kekiel is nice.” She explains with wide eyes, not a trace of indecision in them. “Pro...protect Mama and Phia.”

There’s a second of silence in the car before Ezekiel agrees with Sophia. “You are correct, little one. I will always protect you and your mama.”

Carol can’t help but slide her hand over Ezekiel’s which rests on the car’s gear lever. She squeezes it gently before pulling her hand back. She agrees with her daughter completely.

The moment Ezekiel pulls into his reserved spot, Carol instantly grows self conscious. She knows not many people saw the injuries in her face, but the thought that someone might have and they know her inner most secret, terrifies her. She probably would have shrunk back and insisted she’d stay in the car if it wasn’t for the fact her daughter was having none of it. Holding on to her mother’s hand, Sophia instantly requested Ezekiel’s as well. Once she had both hands secure in her tiny ones, she urged them to start walking, skipping along between them.

To Carol’s relief no one batted an eyelash their way unless they were greeting them. Ezekiel guides them towards the tiger enclosure where Shiva, no doubt sensing Ezekiel’s proximity, is already growling for attention. Besides her Sophia practically dances on tip toes as she tries to patiently wait for the tiger to be left in their care. It takes a little longer than usual but eventually they are let in to spend some time with the cub while the vet, ever patient with Sophia hovering near and asking a thousand and one questions, evaluate if Shiva is ready to leave with them.

“Last chance to change your mind, King!” He jokes with Ezekiel who stands proudly by. Carol is not sure if he’s proud of her daughter being so inquisitive or of Shiva getting a clean bill of health, but something tells her it’s a little bit of both. 

“I am as secure in my resolution as I have ever been.” He declares.

Everything goes as planned and soon Ezekiel is signing off paperwork that officially puts him in charge of Shiva. With no one else inside of the enclosure with Shiva, Carol observes as Sophia plays with the tiger cub through the cristal wall. 

“Carol?” Ezekiel calls to her, making her jump slightly. 

“Yes?” She asks as she straightens up from where she had been leaning against the wall.

“I need you to sign some paperwork too.” 

Confused, Carol looks at him with eyes narrowed. Her hand raises and gently presses against her chest. “Me?”

“Yes.” He ushers her towards him and starts explaining once she’s by his side. “I conversed. with the head of Human Resources. He owed me a favor and I cashed in on it. From hence forth you are a member of our zoo family. You will be in charge of helping me teach Shiva all she needs to learn in order to survive.”

“But... But I’m not... I don’t know much.”

“That’s perfectly acceptable, we don’t expect you to be a tiger prodigy. Seeing as you will be home with me, and you’ll be in contact with a Shiva as much as I will be, we thought it appropriate for you to be an apprentice to a zoo keeper.” Ezekiel explains. Despite the fact that he knows she doesn’t know a thing about tigers other than what she’s learned at his side, there is no quivering in his voice, no hesitation in his decision. “It officially lets you handle Shiva and helps put some money in your pocket. It comes with its dangers, but it’s what we could come up with in such a short notice.”

Her eyes instantly fill with tears. This man is keeping each and every promise he has made to her and Sophia. She knows that for her to get this job he had to put his own on the line, it doesn’t go unnoticed by her, but he’s ensuring that she has the means to earn money in case she does end up wanting the leave the safety of his home in the future.

“Tha...thanks.” She says as a couple of tears escape her eyes.

She fills the needed information then signs the paperwork that officially makes her a worker at the zoo and the paperwork that says she will be part of Shiva’s upbringing and just like that her and her daughter’s future becomes a little brighter, a little less shadowed by the terror of her husband.

When the time comes for them to leave they encounter a hiccup in the transportation plan that not even Carol sees coming. For Shiva’s safety they have to have her in an animal transport throughout the trip back home. The travel kennel designated as hers has been padded so that she doesn’t slip and has been made to feel a little more like home with one of her rope toys. Shiva goes in quite easily but as soon as Ezekiel moves to close the kennel, it is Sophia that instantly dissolves into tears.

Carol embraces her daughter, gently smoothing her hand back and forth over Sophia’s back. Her daughter seems terrified and can’t quite voice what’s wrong with her because of her sobs. It takes Carol a lot of soothing words to get Sophia into a state where she can understand her. 

“What’s wrong sweet pea?” She asks her before pushing back Sophia’s bangs. 

“No... Shiva... in box.” Sophia mumbles around hiccups. Her tear filled eyes turn to look at the tiger cub who is staring at her with an expression of confusion. “Out! Please.”

Carol turns to look at Ezekiel who seems as confused as her. He crouches down in front of Sophia and Carol and gently tilts Sophia’s face toward him. “Are you worried for Shiva well-being?” He asks in an equally soothing tone. “Shiva remains safe, no harm will come to her within the transport.”

“N...no?” Sophia asks incredulous. 

“No.” Ezekiel assures her at the same time that Carol shakes her head. “We have made it warm and cozy. She will not suffer from cold.”

Sophia bites the inside of her lip. She’s obviously thinking hard as she bites so Carol gently sweeps a finger over her daughter’s lips to remind her to release. The last thing she wants is for her daughter to get hurt. 

“Tiny.” Sophia points out.

Carol quickly understands what Sophia is afraid of. Once, when Sophia was much smaller, Ed had decided to punish her for her incessant crying over a stomach ache by putting her in the closet. Carol had begged and pleaded, holding her daughter close to prevent him from taking her but Ed has been relentless. He’d eventually pushed both of them in, closing the door behind them and bathing them in darkness. Ever since that day Sophia had shown signs of hating closed spaces. Carol understands for she too suffers from claustrophobia, but she’d never thought her daughter would react so strongly to someone else being placed in a close tight space.

“It’s small, yes, but see she has space to move around,” Carol assures her as she shows her just how big the transport really is. Shiva can certainly move around just fine, she can even lay down and stretch and she still wouldn’t touch the ends of the transport. “And see... see all the holes? She can breathe and she can look out. See? She’s looking at you and she’s just as worried for you as you are for her.”

“I know it seems scary, but we need her to be protected for the trek home. We want her to be safe.”

“I hold her!” Sophia offers. She quickly brushes her tears away with the back of her hand then opens her arms out for Shiva. “I protect.”

“We can’t do that sweet pea.” Carol explains. “Remember when you were little and you wanted to ride on my lap when we would get food? Remember how Mama couldn’t drive and hold you?” She pauses so that Sophia can answer with a nod of her head. “Well... it’s just like that. You have to be on your seat in order to be safe and Shiva has to be in her transport so that she will be safe. She can’t ride in your arms because she could get hurt if we suddenly stop or if there is an accident.”

Sophia turns to look at Shiva once more. Her eyes water again which is quickly followed by her chin quivering.

“I have an idea.” Ezekiel suddenly declares. “Would our Princess feel much calmer if we place the tiger’s carriage by her side during our ride back home?” He asks. Sophia’s eyes widen and she nods eagerly. “Shiva will remain in her transport but you will be able to keep a watchful eye over her, make sure she is safe. Do you think you are up for that responsibility? You will need to show valor beyond your years.”

Sophia doesn’t take a second to think instead she quickly answer with a sharp nod, hair flying everywhere. “Yes! I brave! Mama, I brave!” She declares trying to convince both adult.

“Very well, then we shall depart.”

Carol can’t help but smile as she realizes just how serious Sophia has taken her new task. She walks besides Ezekiel, on the other side of the pen he carries, glancing inside to make sure Shiva is safe. She keeps to his side all throughout the walk out of the healing center, through the back roads that are accessible only to zoo personnel, and right up until they reach the car. Even when Carol is buckling her in Sophia keeps careful watch over Shiva even going as far to remind Ezekiel to secure the transport with the long seat belt.

“Hurry! Hurry!” Sophia begs almost as soon as Ezekiel is behind the wheel. Carol can only guess that she doesn’t want Shiva to be on the box longer than she has to be. 

“Patience.” Carol reminds her daughter as she once more settles herself with her body turned inwards towards Ezekiel. This way she can keep an eye on Sophia as well as stay hidden for she isn’t entirely sure that her daughter won’t attempt to spring Shiva out of her captivity.

Ezekiel promises to be as quick as he can be though Carol doesn’t really notice a difference in his driving. He maintains her daughter entertained by asking her questions that range from tiger behavior to Shiva specific questions. Sophia answers all of them but she never takes her eyes off the tiger cub that lays besides her.

As soon as Ezekiel pulls into the driveway of his cabin, Sophia starts struggling with her seatbelt trying to get it off so that she can release Shiva.

“Wait... wait!” Carol calls out. She rushes out of the car and opens Sophia’s door as quickly as she can. By the time Ezekiel has opened the front door and has pulled out the transport, Carol has secured Sophia against her hip. They enter the home together but no sooner has she crossed the threshold that Sophia is wiggling in her arms trying to her down.

“Out! Out!” Sophia begs even as Ezekiel is already opening the transport door.

“She has to come out all on her own.” Ezekiel reminds Sophia who looks up at him and gives a solemn nod. She then crouches besides the transport and peers in, strawberry blond hair cascading all over her face. She huffs and pushes it away.

To say Carol is a little nervous would be an understatement. A tiger, even a tiger cub, is a dangerous animal and her daughter doesn’t seem to understand that Shiva could hurt her if they aren’t careful. Carol knows the tiger will be hesitant after all it is a brand new environment, and doesn’t want Sophia to overwhelm her by pulling her out. 

“Sweet Pea come here.” She calls to her daughter. Sophia does as asked and quickly finds a spot on her mother’s lap facing the transport.

Shiva doesn’t come out right away which prompts Sophia to look up at her mother with a questioning glance. “It’s alright my love.” Carol assures her though she too turns to look to Ezekiel for assurance.

“Princess Sophia,” Ezekiel once more crouches besides her. They are now all facing the transport door, waiting for a sign from within. “Remind me once more how that special sound only tigers achieve when they are happy and content sounds.”

Sophia pulls her bottom lip underneath her top teeth then lets out the air she had been holding on to. It’s not quite the chuffing sound Ezekiel can do but it is close enough that they hear Shiva react.

“Oh!” Sophia exclaims surprised, her hands quickly rising to cover her lips. “Mama!”

“I heard.”

“Try again, little princess.”

Sophia tries once more and soon enough both Ezekiel and Carol are doing the sounds right along with her. It feels like forever but finally a tiny paw comes out, followed by another, then a head and eventually all of Shiva’s body slips out. She seems hesitant, scared, and on edge. Her fur is puffed just like Sophia had mentioned that morning.

Sophia leans forward and Carol reminds her once more to be gentle. Without Ezekiel’s prompting Sophia extends her hand in offering so that Shiva can sniff her. Carol can’t help but smile at the innocence and smarts her daughter shows. Still, she holds her breath as Shiva leans forward, sniffling from far away.

“Come on sweetheart.” Ezekiel whispers his support, his eyes trained on Shiva as she approaches Sophia’s offered hand.

Shiva sniffles once more before letting out a tiger version of a mighty roar. For a moment Carol fears she will scare Sophia but her daughter only giggles. Before long Shiva is doing her own version of the chuffing sound while pressing her head against Sophia’s hand.

“Good girl.” Sophia praises.

Slowly Sophia gets up from her lap, guiding Shiva around the living room effortlessly. Carol watches silently as her daughter, without an ounce of fear, introduces a tiger to her new home. A tiger! Sophia shows her the best hiding spots, the best spot to fall asleep on the couch, the best place to play dollies. It amazes Carol, yet again, the leap and bounds Sophia has gone through. How could this little girl, who had trembled from fear in her arms most of her life suddenly be fearless and strong? Her daughter is blossoming in a way she can’t have predicted. It steals Carol’s breath away yet at the same time deeply excites her to see Sophia try new things, find strength within herself and push her own boundaries. It gives her hope; hope that her daughter hasn’t been forever scarred by her father, hope that Sophia will grow to be a strong woman who would never let a man hurt her, hope that they really will survive all of this.

After spending an afternoon exploring and setting down rules and boundaries for both Shiva and Sophia, Carol spends her time watching her daughter’s antics with the tiger cub while Ezekiel prepares their food. She laughs as Sophia tries to walk on hand and feet, mimicking Shiva’s way of walking and as she plays her own version of tag which more often than not will get interrupted by Shiva’s sudden interest in her own tail. She watches carefully as Shiva, now more accustomed to the space around her, playfully jumps on Sophia making her daughter squeal with delight and even caresses the tiger cub whenever it will seek her touch. When Ezekiel declares their food to be ready and serves everyone she even allows Sophia to share little bites of her chicken with Shiva, dropping them from up high.

She has been hesitant, God knows she’s question whether she is putting her daughter in danger or not by letting her interact with the cub, but as she sees her daughter curl up with Shiva, both sleepy and with filled tummies, Carol’s hesitation lays to rest for the time being.

“I have a feeling that Shiva will neither need you nor I in this endeavor. It will be Sophia that teaches her all she needs to learn.” She hears Ezekiel say. Turning she catches his knowing gaze as he sits besides her.

“I think you are right.” She admits, leaning back against the sofa with a tired sigh. 

“I must remember to endorse my checks to her then.” He teases.

She turns to look at Ezekiel who is now looking at the sleepy tiger and human cub who have decided that the middle of the living room is the perfect place to take a nap. Sophia is fast asleep on the rug, thumb in her mouth facing Shiva who has curled herself against Sophia’s chest. She has so many questions she wants to ask; how did he convince the zoo to give her a job? Why does he speak the way he does? Why has he taken them under his wing and opened his home? Why does he feel the way he feels for her? Just... why? 

She shakes her head as she tries to clear up her mind. “I don’t know how you managed to convince them to give me a job when I have no experience... but I wanted to tell you thanks.”

Ezekiel turns to look at her with one of those smiles that always seems to light up his face. He gives her a small nod before opening his embrace and letting her know she can snuggle against him if she wants. Carol is not one to pass a chance to snuggle so she inches her way closer before snuggling against him, pulling her legs up towards her body on the sofa and laying her face against his chest. His arm falls behind her, holding her without being heavy. She can’t help but feel like this is natural, that this is what they should be doing.

"It's really no inconvenience." He promises. "As I declared, he owed me so I convinced him that doing this favor for me would wipe the slate clean."

"It must not have been easy." Carol knows it couldn't have. Sure, she had simply had to fill in her information and sign on the dotted line but she knew it must have cost him a lot of convincing in order to get him to agree to that deal.  

"He was a little reluctant, but in the end he agreed." She feels him press a gentle kiss against the top side of her forehead. She can't help but sigh contently as she continues feeling his embrace. How can he be so calming to her soul? "A little good for all the grief he had me go through."

"Grief?" She can't help but ask, leaning back so that she can look straight into his dark eyes. "Do I want to know?"

He chuckles and gently pulls her back to her previous position. "Fear not, it wasn't actual grief." He promises. "Have you ever wondered why those around me call me 'king' even when I hold no title and have no actual Kingdom."

Carol blushes even though she can't see him. The thought has passed through her mind but she hasn't wanted to pry into something he isn’t ready to share with her. She's also wondered why it is that he has that funny and very proper way of speaking. "A little." She finally admits.

"People who work at the zoo are a family, we watch out for each other, have each other's back when they need us. Thus, everyone knows about each other's business but I had kept one part of my life a secret." Ezekiel explains as the hand that's not holding her to him starts playing with the end of the fingers belonging to the hand that rested on her lap. "I take part in community theatre and when Phillip found out he invited everyone to one of the showings. Needless to say I was playing a King from one of Shakespeare's plays. They've called me King ever since."

"Is that why you also talk funny?" She asks, shifting slightly so that her head is tilted upward without having to leave the area of his chest. "Proper... with a... Shakespearean accent?"

"Indeed it is." Ezekiel admits. "I decided that if I was going to play the part I might as well own it and I've been using the speech since then. I fail sometimes but the practice has done wonders for my time in stage."

She lets out a little giggle against his chest, nothing more than the soft movement of her chest. "You'll have to invite me to one of your plays someday." She whispers. "Maybe when Sophia and I no longer have to hide."

"Hopefully that day will be soon." He says in an almost prayer like tone. "Michonne should be calling soon with news. Though..." he pauses to turn to look at the pile of sleepy bodies currently taking residence on his living room rug. "I have a feeling you will not have to worry about Sophia's well-being for long, not with Shiva by her side."

"Not sure who is who's protector at the moment though." Carol adds, agreeing with his words. It will take off a great source of worry from her shoulders to know that Shiva is watching out for her daughter and that Ed will never dare to approach her with a tiger on the prowl nearby if indeed it were to happen.

They fall into silence, their fingers still playfully caressing the other's. She smiles down at their hands and at how easily intimacy seems to develop between them. She can't help but compare him to Ed and how awkward they had been all throughout their marriage, as if intimacy had to be forced even when she had been so sure that she was thoroughly in love with him. Yet, here she was, holding hands with Ezekiel and everything felt right, everything felt perfect.  

Beneath her head she can feel his heart beating going faster which tells him he's nervous about something. She fidgets for a second before leaning back further, her eyes closed as she finds a spot she's completely comfortable with before opening them up slowly. Her blue eyes lock with his and before she knows it they are both leaning in to each other. It's as if there's a magnet between their lips pulling them together, a magnet that finds no resistance whatsoever from either of them. She can feel his breath against her lips which only makes her lean forward even further. One of her hands raises to press three fingers against his chin, steading him as she sends a questioning look through her eyes. He takes a moment to understand what she's trying to say before pressing the side of his face to her nose, slowly turning until their noses rub together, one over the other. Their lips are so close that a shift from either of them would make them touch. She knows, instinctively, that he is not going to lean forward and close the distance. He is leaving it up to her to decide.

She licks her lips once before closing her eyes once more.  

She's not afraid. She's not even nervous. It seems right, seems like its exactly what should be happening, what they are meant to do. She closes the distance between them, letting her lips make contact with his fully. It's not a chaste kiss though it certainly starts like one. Again it is her who gives way for a deeper embrace by parting her lips and letting the hand she'd press against his chin move upward and tangle with his dreads. She lets out a breath that has been burning her lungs just as he slides a hand upward and into her hair, securing her against him without making her feel like he's holding her with the intention of not letting go. They kiss for what feels like an eternity, something she is very much ready to do forever. They’d probably have continued well into making out had it not been for a tiny growl that comes from Shiva.  

Immediately they pull back and turn to look at their sleepy cubs. It seems Shiva is still sleeping, probably dreaming of something that has made her give out that tiny cute growl. Carol can't help but laugh, raising a hand to cover her mouth as Sophia sleepily and without opening her eyes pats Shiva’s belly in a soothing motion, before taking a look at Ezekiel. He is blushing quite hard and licking his own lips, as if to keep the taste of her in his system.  

"Got carried away, forgive me milady." He admits with a smile.  

Carol gives him a tiny smirk before leaning forward and pressing another kiss to his lips, this time a quick soft press of her lips. His smile increases as she leans back which in turn makes her blush almost as deeply as he is.  

"I don't mind it." She admits. "I like kissing you."

"It is quickly becoming my favorite way to spend time." He assures her before leaning in for another quick kiss.

It is only when he's leaning back that Carol sees his eyes move away from her face and settle on something behind her. She turns and follows his gaze only to find a blinking red light in what she knows is his voicemail machine. "That must have been Michonne." He theorizes. She moves to let him off the couch but giggles once again as he gets up then quickly leans down to kiss her. 

Who is this giggling mess she's becoming? And most importantly, why does she not mind it?

He crosses the short distance towards the answering machine and quickly presses the button besides the flashing light. The silence is interrupted by the crackling of the machine then the woman's voice that takes over the living room.

"11:36 am. 1 voice message."

What she hears next paralizes her heart. "This is a message for Ezekiel's guest. This is Michonne, your pro-bono lawyer. We need to talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *runs and hides*


	9. Custody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol will simply not allow it. It's out of the question as soon as the words leave Michonne's lips. There is no way she will allow Sophia to be put in that position.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer:
> 
> Carol Peletier, Sophia Peletier, King Ezekiel, Henry, Jerry, Shiva, and any other recognizable character or plot of The Walking Dead belong to AMC Network and Skybound Entertainment, Image Comics and Robert Kirkman.
> 
> This is a work of fiction and in no way is the author claiming ownage of any of the characters, nor is there any economic/monetary gain at any time. The author is extremely respectful of the original creators and is willing to take down this work of fiction if requested.
> 
> No copyright infringement intended.
> 
> Original characters are the property of the author.

“Edward has filed for child custody.”

Carol feels her world tilt and for a second she is pretty sure that she’s going to pass out, her knees buckle and she slumps against the sofa, all color draining from her face. She had been so afraid of this very thing happening. She knows how it will end; Ed will get custody of Sophia and take her far away so that Carol will never see her again or he will use their toddler daughter to get her to come back. Either way, she is out of options.

“No man that wields the power of law would give Sophia to that monster!” Ezekiel exclaims.

“He is her father Zeke.” Carol hears Michonne try and reason with Ezekiel but the ringing in her ears overpowers the sound of her voice. Her chest feels tight as if she can’t take in enough air to fill her lungs. There is an invisible fist within her throat, tightening it's grasp around her trachea, preventing her from drawing in much-needed air and stopping her from exclaiming. She leans her head back, realizing that she’s about to go into a full-fledged panic attack, and focuses on the ceiling.

Ezekiel must have noticed the state she is in because the next thing she knows is the touch of his hand on her legs as he takes away her shoes and socks, then on her hand as he pulls it towards his chest. She turns her head slightly, enough to see him. “I can’t…”

“Worry not.” He begs her, his eyes as wide as hers probably are. “Focus on my breathing. Do you feel it? Can you feel my heartbeat?”

Carol nods and presses her hand even harder against his chest. His heart is steady, thumping against his chest and her hand. She slowly matches her breathing to his, taking in air when he does and letting it out slowly just like Ezekiel.

The ringing in her ears slowly disappears. In its place, she hears Ezekiel’s breathing and it's all she can focus on. The fist around her throat slowly releases its hold and little by little her chest fills with even more air. Her feet are cold against the floor but it helps ground her, helps remind her that her mind is going a mile an hour but she’s still in Ezekiel’s home, she still has her daughter.

“I’m sorry Carol.” The couch dips as Michonne takes a seat beside her. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Tact is not your forte, my dear friend.” Ezekiel reminds her.

“They… they are going to give her to… him, aren’t they?” Carol manages to ask through the knot in her throat. 

“Not if I can help it,” Michonne assures her. 

She watches as Michonne takes something from her briefcase and leaves it on the coffee table in front of her. “Your husband is not a stupid man. He’s filed for custody to retain his hold on your daughter but I filled a counter order, the restraining order, and in cases of spousal abuse the custody hearing will not take place until the spousal abuse case has concluded.”

“We still have hope.” Ezekiel reminds her as he squeezes her hand reassuringly. “It is that very hope we must hold on to.”

“Cases aren’t won on hope.” Michonne reminds him. Carol quickly turns from looking at Ezekiel to look at Michonne whom she catches mouthing ‘us?’ in a question meant only for Ezekiel to see. 

“No, they are fought and won on facts, but what are facts if there is no hope in our hearts to fill us with strength for what lies ahead?”

Michonne lets out a sigh of defeat and turns to look at Carol. She gives her a tightly closed-lip smile. “I’ve petitioned for your medical records to be sent to me from all the hospitals you listed. I should be getting them soon. I’ll be combing through them and presenting them to the court, filing based on what we can prove. Meanwhile, he cannot get near you, not lawfully. He cannot approach Sophia either.”

“It won’t stop him.” Carol laments. She knows her husband, she knows that this will only infuriate him even further. Now more than ever they are going to have to be vigilant. She wouldn’t put it past him to try and snatch her daughter. 

“Then we fight with what the law gives us,” Michonne assures her. 

“He doesn’t care about the law.”

“He’ll have to because I won’t be going light on him. I plan to use the full extent of the law that is available to me.” 

Carol can’t help but shake her head and close her eyes. A piece of paper is not going to stop Ed. A piece of paper is not going to prevent him from using his fists on her or Sophia. A piece of paper is not going to prevent him from dragging them home if he sees them. A piece of paper is not going to stop him from killing her.

“I’ve filled for divorce on your behalf.” She perks up at Michonne’s words but refuses to get much of her hopes up. “The papers are here, you need to sign them and call me when you are ready so that I can turn them in. There will be a hearing, sooner rather than later. I filed as an emergency divorce. I’m optimistic things will go our way. The Judge whose court I filled it in doesn’t take kindly to wife beaters, especially when kids are involved. He granted the restraining order after all.”

Something in Michonne’s expression makes Carol doubt that is all the lawyer wants to tell her. Not wanting to keep feeling like the other shoe is about to drop, Carol asks. “But?”

“You are definitively going to have to testify.” Michonne reminds her. “And… I know you are not going to like this, but there is a high chance that Sophia might have to testify as well.”

“No,” Carol says quickly. She pulls herself away from Ezekiel, standing as quickly as she can only to face Michonne who remains on the sofa. “No, she’s a baby.”

“She’s two, a little young, I agree, but she’s been witness to what has happened and she knows what her father has done. If anyone can help us win this, it is her.” 

“No.”

“Carol, we need to hear her. The Judge needs to hear her if you want to make sure that Edward doesn’t get her, if you want to make sure that she remains with you after the divorce. Children don’t lie, not at this age, and if I can’t prove that the hospital records coincide with his beatings then the sole witness of everything he’s done to you is her. It’s important to get her side of the events in court documents because then we can use it against him.”

“She’s not a tool.” Carol quickly tells her. She doesn’t want to use her daughter for or against anything. Sophia has gone through enough in her life, she doesn’t need to add the stress of court proceedings to her already fragile emotions. “I won’t allow anyone to use her.”

Michonne turns to look at Ezekiel as if to plead with him to help her. Carol can see from the corner of her eye that he shakes his head. She’s glad that he knows she will not change her mind and that he doesn’t try to curve her. 

“We can do a video testimony. She will be at the courthouse but not in the same room as her father, if that’s what you are afraid of.”

Carol still shakes her head.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Ezekiel breaks the icy silence with soft words. “She might not need to testify.”

“The only way I see that not happening is if we can somehow gather enough evidence of his abuse to ensure that there is no room to question it.”

“You better find a way to do it because I’m not letting you put her on the stand,” Carol warns Michonne. “Sophia is not going to testify.”

Later, when Michonne has left and Sophia has wakened for the day ready to have breakfast and help feed little Shiva, Ezekiel approaches her solemnly. She knows that Michonne tried to convince him to help dissuade her because she heard the not so soft whispering, but she won’t budge, not even coming from the man who has stolen a little piece of her heart. 

She cradles a cup of coffee against her chest as she leans against the kitchen counter. She’s looking at Sophia who munches on her cereal, doing that little happy dance she does every time she eats as she hums to herself and looks down at Shiva who is sitting on the floor beside her, tiny tail wagging as she looks up at her playing companion. 

How can someone want to put her baby on the stand?

How can Michonne even think that she would allow Sophia to be put on the spot and questioned?

Carol is her mother and she’s always tried to protect her. Perhaps she hasn’t always been able to shield her little eyes from catching a glimpse the violent man who helped create her, but she will ensure that she won’t have to relieve the agony and fear of that very violence. 

“Before you say anything; I haven’t changed my mind.” She informs him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't plan to post a chapter of this work today but seeing as my brain is already coming up with new ideas and I had this chapter mid-way done, I decided to update it.
> 
> What do you guys think? What will Carol do? What will Ezekiel do?

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a review if you’d like for me to continue this story!


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